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Oct. 11 (UPI) -- Benson Kipruto and Diana Kipyogei claimed a sweep for Kenya as the first man and woman to finish the pandemic delayed Boston Marathon on Monday in Boston. "I was looking over my shoulder to check where they were," Kipyogei told CBS Boston, when asked about her competition.
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Kipruto, 30, finished in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 51 seconds. Kipyogei, 27, finished in 2 hours, 24 minutes, 45 seconds. They each claimed a $150,000 prize for first place.
"It was slower than I expected," Kipruto said. "We didn't have pace [setters], that's why the finish was slow."
Kenyan Lawrence Cherono won the 2019 men's race with a time of 2 hours, 7 minutes, 57 seconds. Ethiopia's Worknesh Degefa won the 2019 women's event in 2 hours, 23 minutes, 31 seconds.
About 18,000 people participated in the 26.2-mile event Monday, down from the more than 30,000 runners from 2019. The 2020 Boston Marathon was canceled for the first time in history due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Ethiopian Lemi Berhanu, the 2016 Boston Marathon winner, finished second behind Kipruto. Fellow Ethiopian Jemal Yimer finished third.
Colin Bennie of Princeton, Mass., was the top American man. He placed seventh in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 26 seconds. American C.J. Albertson placed 10th.
Kenyan Edna Kiplagat, the 2017 Boston Marathon winner, placed second behind Kipyogei. Kenyan Mary Ngugi placed third. Nell Rojas was the top American woman. She finished sixth in 2 hours, 27 minutes, 12 seconds.
Switzerland's Marcel Hug and Manuela Schar won the respective men's and women's wheelchair races Monday in Boston.
The 2021 Boston Marathon was postponed from April until October. Runners were required to test negative for COVID-19 or prove they were vaccinated to participate in the 125th edition of the event.
Kipruto and Kipyogei said they plan to compete in the 2022 Boston Marathon. The 126th Boston Marathon is scheduled April 18.
