April 17 (UPI) -- Evans Chebet and Hellen Obiri completed a sweep for Kenya, winning their respective men's and women's divisions of the 2023 Boston Marathon on Monday. They received $150,000 each.
Chebet, who finished in 2:05:54, is the first man to win consecutive Boston Marathons since 2008.
The six-time marathon winner averaged 4:48 per mile on the 26.2-mile course, which started in Hopkinton, Mass., and finished on Boylston Street in downtown Boston.
"I'm happy because I know this course very well," Chebet, 34, said on an ESPN broadcast. "I won last year and this year, so maybe next year I will come back again."
Obiri, a two-time Olympic silver medalist and winner of the 2023 New York City Half Marathon, finished in 2:21:38. The 33-year-old averaged 5:24 per mile.
"I decided to be patient and watch the other ladies," Obiri said on the ESPN broadcast. "If they make a move, I should also make a move. We planned for this race and how to race it."
Gabriel Geay of Tanzania, Kenyans Benson Kipruto and Albert Korir and Moroccan Zouhair Talbi joined Chebet as Top 5 men's finishers. Ethiopian Amane Beriso, Kenyan-Israili Lonah Salpeter, Ethiopian Ababel Yeshaneh and American Emma Bates joined Obiri as Top 5 women's finishers.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, who holds the record for the fastest marathon in history, finished sixth among men. Scott Fauble, who finished seventh, was the fastest American man.
About 30,000 competitors participated in the 127th edition of the race. Temperatures hovered around 50 degrees F.
