Philadelphia Marathon 2021: Men's and Women's Top Finishers and Results
Nov 21, 2021
Runners make their way down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia at the start of the Philadelphia Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2015. (AP Photo/ Joseph Kaczmarek)
Mike Chesire and Leslie Sexton raced their way to victories at the 2021 Philadelphia Marathon on Sunday.
Chesire finished with a time of 2:13:28 to defeat Dylan Gearinger, who had led the race at the 30-kilometer mark. Donald Cowart, Ashenafi Ketema Birhana and Lyle O'Brien rounded out the top five for the men's side.
Sexton turned in a dominant performance to finish the marathon in 2:28:34, more than two minutes ahead of Lexie Thompson. She led the race at the 10K, halfway and 30K marks on her way to victory.
Hirut Guangul, Kerry Allen and Pamela Cherotich rounded out the top five on the women's side.
The Philadelphia Marathon was being held for the first time since 2019 after the 2020 event was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Chesire is the first American man to win the event since 2014. His time of 2:13:28 broke an all-time record that was previously held by Tadesse Dabi (2018).
Sexton is the first Canadian to capture the Philly Marathon since 2005.
LA Marathon 2021 Results: Men's and Women's Top Finishers
Nov 7, 2021
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MARCH 08: Medals for the marathon hang during the 2020 Los Angeles Marathon on March 08, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)
Two years after finishing second, John Korir bounced back to win the 2021 Los Angeles Marathon with a time of two hours, 12 minutes and 48 seconds.
Natasha Cockram was the top women's finisher in Los Angeles on Sunday, crossing the finish line in two hours, 33 minutes and 17 seconds.
John Korir of Kenya is the 2021 Los Angeles Marathon champion in 2:12:48! Congrats on an amazing race! pic.twitter.com/BuYfOrKu9F
Natasha Cockram (UK/Wales) is the 2021 women’s Los Angeles Marathon champion in 2:33:17! Congrats Natasha on an amazing race! pic.twitter.com/SoDcI12wXd
It was both competitors' first time winning this event, although John's brother, Wesley Korir, is a two-time winner of the Los Angeles Marathon.
John Korir led the field in 2019 before Elisha Barno passed him in the final 150 meters for the win, per Scott Reid of the Los Angeles Daily News.
On Sunday, Korir again made his move to the front and built an 88-second lead by Mile 23. This time, the 24-year-old Kenyan was able to stay in front and pull out the victory.
In the women's race, it looked like a two-person battle between Cockram and Antonina Kwambai. The two were in front of the pack for much of the race until Kwambai started to show fatigue:
Women’s leaders Antonina Kwambai (Kenya) and Natasha Cockram (UK/Wales) came 25k in 1:30:55. Kwambai is starting to look fatigued, perhaps because she ran a fast marathon three weeks ago. Their last mile was 6:15, their slowest yet. pic.twitter.com/1k2NURGbpN
Cockram took advantage and pulled away from the field for one of the biggest victories of her career.
The Welsh competitor finished just three minutes shy of a personal best that she set at the London Marathon.
New York Marathon Results 2021: Men's and Women's Top Finishers
Nov 7, 2021
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - NOVEMBER 07: Albert Korir is seen winning the Professional Men's division during the 2021 TCS New York City Marathon on November 07, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/New York Road Runners via Getty Images)
Albert Korir and Peres Jepchirchir, both of Kenya, won the men's and women's races respectively at the New York Marathon on Sunday.
Korir won in an unofficial time of two hours, eight minutes and 22 seconds, comfortably besting Morocco's Mohamed El Aaraby and Italy's Eyob Faniel after passing them in the 18th mile.
The women's race had more drama, however, as Jepchirchir won with an unofficial time of two hours, 22 minutes and 39 seconds after surpassing Kenya's Viola Cheptoo and Ethiopia's Ababel Yeshaneh in the final mile of the race.
It was Korir's first win since the 2019 Ottawa Race Weekend Marathon, and the 27-year-old's first World Marathon Majors triumph.
"It was not an easy race, but I enjoyed it," Korir told reporters.
Jepchirchir, 28, won gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
"After I won the Olympic marathon, I was not expecting to win [in New York], but I prepared well and I'm so pleased, so happy," she said on the ESPN2 broadcast after the event.
Molly Seidel, who placed fourth in the women's race, was the top finisher from the United States.
Switzerland's Marcel Hug (1:31:24) and Australia's Madison de Rozario won the men's and women's wheelchair divisions, respectively.
Lafayette Avenue in Brooklyn — between Miles 8 and 9 of the New York City Marathon — is always a party on race day. Here's a taste of what it looks like as runners pass through. https://t.co/Q9dEtR9bUHpic.twitter.com/HX3oUejDG8
The Bay Ridge neighborhood of Brooklyn is the first that New York City Marathon participants pass through after crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from Staten Island. Here, spectators on the street cheer on runners as they pass by. https://t.co/ukSKefZscBpic.twitter.com/xnRNAX3FCA
Crossing the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, seen here, is the first challenge of the New York City Marathon. The good news for runners is that it actually represents the longest climb of the race. https://t.co/12zPLgYmoPpic.twitter.com/G34s3xTRUL
Nearly 30,000 runners—a 40 percent reduction from the 2019 event—participated in Sunday's marathon after it took a one-year hiatus in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
New York Marathon Results 2021: Winners, Finishing Times and Highlights
Nov 7, 2021
Runners make their way at the start of NYC marathon on Sunday, Nov. 7, 2021, in New York. (AP Photo/Brittainy Newman)
After being canceled in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the 50th running of the New York City marathon made a triumphant return Sunday as more than 30,000 athletes wove their way 26.2 miles through the city's five boroughs.
Sunday's competition kicked off with the wheelchair races at 8 a.m. ET, followed soon after by the open women's professional race (8:40 a.m.) and the open men's (9:05 a.m.). Then, the first wave of the rest of the field started at 9:10 a.m.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men's wheelchair race in 1:31:24, which was good for the fifth-fastest time in event history. He finished more than six minutes ahead of the next competitor, a historic blowout.
Madison de Rozario of Australia won the women's wheelchair race in 1:51:01, approximately two minutes faster than Tatyana McFadden.
Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya was the women's race winner, finishing in 2:22:39, the third-fastest time in race history.
Albert Korir of Kenya won the men's race in 2:08:22, which puts him among the 20 fastest finishers in race history.
After five kilometers, Danish runner Thijs Nijhuis had gone 15:26, a 2:10 pace. Nijhuis was relatively unknown, having finished 70th at the Olympic marathon.
Through 23 miles, Viola Cheptoo and Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ababel Yeshaneh of Ethiopia were in a tight race for first place, while Molly Seidel of the United States was tracking about 43 seconds behind them in fourth. By mile 25, American Kellyn Taylor was in fifth.
Seidel did indeed finish as the top American in 2:24:42, more than a minute faster than the fastest American women's time in the New York City marathon.
Elkanah Kibet was the top finisher for the men, in 02:11:15.
The course records are 2:05:06 for men, set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011, and 2:22:31 for women (Margaret Okayo, 2003).
The winners of the men's and women's races earn $100,000 and the top American finishers (Seidel and Kibet) get a cool $25,000.
In a nod to the 50th anniversary of the race, if any runner had broken Mutai or Okayo's records, they would have earned a $50,000 bonus. Jepchirchir's winning time of 2:22:39 was just eight seconds shy of the 18-year-old record.
One of the angles of interest heading into the race was Zac Clark, who was a contestant on the 16th season of The Bachelorette and got engaged to Tayshia Adams. A seven-time marathon runner, Clark ran the marathon with Adams; the two trained together in Central Park.
Clark was outfitted by Reebok for the race and wore the Reebok Floatride Energy 3. Reebok donated pairs of Floatride to the 50-plus runners running on behalf of Clark's foundation, Release Recovery Foundation, which he co-founded to offer resources to people recovering from addiction.
New York Marathon 2021: Route, Course Map, Times, Road Closures & Event Details
Nov 6, 2021
Geoffrey Kamworor, of Kenya, leads the professional men's division during the New York City Marathon, Sunday, Nov. 3, 2019, in New York. (AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz Alvarez)
The largest marathon in the world is back. For the first time in two years, runners will traverse the streets of New York City and take in all the Big Apple has to offer. And this year's event will be even more special.
After the NYC Marathon was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, it returns Sunday for its 50th running. The field has been limited to 33,000, but it should still be an entertaining race that lives up to the hype.
"When I think about this year, I will be excited, I'll be energized," NYC Marathon race director Ted Metellus said, per Jake Seiner of the Associated Press. "But I also realize how much it means to everybody else in the city."
Here's everything you need to know heading into the return of the New York City Marathon.
Runners who participate in the NYC Marathon get to see a ton of the city's landmarks, with the 26.2-mile course taking them through a handful of boroughs. After starting in Staten Island, they will trek through Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan, where they will reach the finish line at Central Park.
While the event gets underway at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, that's not when every runner takes off. First, the professional wheelchair division racers will get started, followed by the handcycle category and select athletes with disabilities (8:22 a.m. ET), the professional women's open division (8:40 a.m. ET) and the professional men's open division (9:05 a.m. ET).
At that point, the rest of the field will begin in five waves at the following times (all ET): 9:10 a.m., 9:55 a.m., 10:40 a.m., 11:20 a.m. and noon.
With the NYC Marathon being such a big event, there will be street, road and bridge closures throughout the day. A full list of those can be found at CentralPark.com.
The smaller field of runners isn't the only change made in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. All participants have to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test from within 48 hours of the race.
It's been a while since a record time was set at the NYC Marathon. The men's mark is held by Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai, who finished in two hours, five minutes and five seconds in 2011. The women's record of 2:22:31 was set by Kenya's Margaret Okayo in 2003.
Among the notable runners in this year's field is 27-year-old American Molly Seidel, who won the bronze medal in the women's marathon at the Tokyo Olympics earlier this year.
"I'm looking forward to the crowds, getting to have that energy again," Seidel said, per Seiner. "And I don't know, I mean, this is my dream job, every time I get to go out and do a marathon."
Seidel won't be the only Olympic medalist in the field, though, as several others will be competing. That includes Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir, who won gold in the women's marathon in Tokyo. On the men's side, one of the top competitors will be Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, a four-time Olympic medalist.
And it wouldn't be the NYC Marathon without celebrities in the field. Among the famous participants are former NFL running back Tiki Barber, a group of U.S. women's national soccer alumnae (Abby Wambach, Lauren Holiday, Kate Markgraf and Leslie Osborne), Marcus Mumford and Ben Lovett of the band Mumford & Sons and Nev Schulman.
LA Marathon 2021: Route, Course Map, Times, Road Closures and Event Details
Nov 5, 2021
LOS ANGELES, March 8, 2020 -- Athletes start to race at 2020 Los Angeles Marathon in Los Angeles, the United States, March 8, 2020. (Photo by Qian Weizhong/Xinhua via Getty) (Xinhua/Qian Weizhong via Getty Images)
Los Angeles boasts a number of landmarks. And on Sunday, around 13,000 runners will get to take in the sights and sounds of the second-largest city in the United States while participating in this year's Los Angeles Marathon.
If it seems a bit late in the year for the L.A. Marathon, that's because it is. The event is typically held in March, but it was pushed back because of coronavirus pandemic. It was originally moved to May 23, but rising coronavirus cases saw it postponed once more.
"We know we were one of the lucky races able to run in 2020, when so many were postponed," Los Angeles Marathon spokesman Dan Cruz said, per Ryan Carter and Holly Andres of the Los Angeles Daily News. "And now to be the last big city marathon in the U.S. [of the year] is going to be special."
Here's everything you need to know heading into the 36th running of the L.A. Marathon.
For runners who have participated in the Los Angeles Marathon in the past, things are going to feel a bit different this year. Not just because it's occurring in the fall, either.
The L.A. Marathon has a new 26.2-mile course this year with the theme of Stadium to the Stars. Runners will begin at Dodger Stadium and then run through the streets of Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Westwood and Brentwood before reaching the finish line at Avenue of the Stars in Century City.
Wheelchair participants will get the event underway Sunday at 6:30 a.m. PT. The elite women's runners will set off at 6:45 a.m. PT, and the elite men take off at 6:55 a.m. PT along with the rest of the field.
The Finish Festival will be taking place at Century Park from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. PT.
Because the race is happening in the streets of L.A., there will be some road closures throughout the city, beginning at 4 a.m. PT, all of which have been listed by Holly Andres of the Los Angeles Daily News.
While the field may not be as big as in past years, there will likely be some strong competitors, as all 50 states and 50 countries will be represented.
The men's record for the race is held by Ethiopia's Markos Geneti, who finished in two hours, six minutes and 35 seconds in 2011. The women's record is 2:25:10, which was set by Russia's Lidiya Grigoryeva in 2006.
Last year's winners were Ethiopia's Bayelign Teshager (2:08:26) in the men's race and Kenya's Margaret Muriuki (2:29:27) in the women's race.
Because the race is taking place amid the pandemic, there are some COVID-19 protocols in place. Runners will have to show either proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test, as will staff, volunteers, media and spectators.
There will still be plenty of people attending the event to support the runners and cheer them along.
"Spectators make the experience for the runners," Cruz said, per Carter and Andres. "We're encouraging the community to come out, make a sign and support your friend or neighbor who's pounding the pavement to achieve a bucket list goal."
So while there will be some noticeable differences from past years, the Los Angeles Marathon will still be a fun event for participants and spectators alike, as the city will be on display for this marquee race.
Boston Marathon 2021 Results: Men's and Women's Top Finishers
Oct 11, 2021
Benson Kipruto, of Kenya, approaches the tape to win the 125th Boston Marathon on Monday, Oct. 11, 2021, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
Benson Kipruto secured a first-place finish at the Boston Marathon with a time of two hours, nine minutes and 51 seconds.
This was Benson Kipruto's 🇰🇪 first @WMMajors victory!
Fellow Kenyan runner Diani Chemtai Kipyogei came in first in the women's field on Sunday, finishing the 26.2-mile run in two hours, 24 minutes and 50 seconds.
The annual race had been held every year in April since starting 1897 until the 2020 version was cancelled amid the COVID-19 pandemic. This year's race was then postponed to the fall before finally taking place after a 30-month hiatus.
Kipruto outlasted a loaded men's field to win his third career marathon after previously winning gold at the 2021 Prague Marathon and the 2018 Toronto Marathon.
American CJ Albertson jumped out in front by the halfway point and led for about an hour and 43 minutes, per CBS Boston. Former winner Geoffrey Kirui took over the lead, but it was Kipruto who pulled away for the eventual win.
The 30-year-old finished 46 seconds ahead of 2016 winner Lemi Berhanu as both the men's and women's competitions were decided by less than a minute:
Your top three from the men's elite race at @bostonmarathon:
Kipyogei was competing in her first major marathon, having won the 2020 Istanbul Marathon as her biggest achievement to date at this distance. She also had success in half-marathons, but the 27-year-old took a major step up in competition Sunday and came out on top.
Colin Bennie finished in seventh in the men's side as the top American, while Nell Rojas had the best United States finish on the women's side in sixth place.
Chicago Marathon 2021 Results: Men's and Women's Top Finishers
Oct 10, 2021
Runners start the 2021 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
Nobody was faster in their respective races in the Windy City on Sunday than Seifu Tura and Ruth Chepngetich.
Tura and Chepngetich won the 2021 men's and women's Chicago Marathon, respectively, in impressive fashion.
Seifu Tura with his 1️⃣st major marathon win with 2:06:12 🇪🇹
American Galen Rupp comes in 2️⃣nd with 2:06:35 🇺🇸
Here is a look at the top finishers, per the event's official website:
Men's Chicago Marathon Top Finishers
1. Seifu Tura (ETH), 2:06:12
2. Galen Rupp (USA), 2:06:35
3. Eric Kiptanui (KEN), 2:06:51
Women's Chicago Marathon Top Finishers
1. Ruth Chepngetich (KEN), 2:22:31
2. Emma Bates (USA), 2:24:20
3. Sara Hall (USA), 2:27:19
According to John Silver of the Chicago Sun-Times, there were runners from all 50 states and 100 countries in total at the 26.2-mile race that was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The course started and ended in Grant Park and went through 29 neighborhoods across the city.
Nobody went through those 29 neighborhoods at a better clip than Tura, who is no stranger to the course. NBC Chicago noted he finished in sixth place at the event in 2019 but was able to secure his first major marathon win with Sunday's effort.
American Galen Rupp, who won the Chicago Marathon in 2017, finished in second place.
As for Chepngetich, Sunday was her first race in the United States, per NBC Chicago.
She made quite the impression with a victory of nearly two minutes over Americans Emma Bates and Sara Hall.
It's no surprise Chepngetich won considering she also counts victories in Dubai, Istanbul (twice) and the 2019 IAAF World Championships on her illustrious resume.
Runners start the Chicago Marathon, Sunday, Oct. 13, 2019, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)
A talented field of runners is set to participate in the 2021 Chicago Marathon. And after not having the event last year because of complications involving the coronavirus pandemic, it will be exciting to have the event back in the Windy City on Sunday morning.
That doesn't mean things are completely back to normal, though. The 43rd running of the Chicago Marathon is going to have some COVID-19 protocols in place to keep the runners safe. Everybody taking part in the race has to show proof of vaccination or a negative test result, while face coverings are required at indoor event venues.
Because of the policies, the Chicago Marathon is able to be held for the first time in two years. The 26.2-mile race will start and finish in Grant Park, as more than 35,000 runners will navigate the city's streets in front of spectators and go through numerous neighborhoods in between.
Here's everything else you need to know about this year's marathon.
Road Closures: A full list of road closures is available at ChicagoMarathon.com.
The Chicago Marathon has featured top competitors for many years. This iteration of the event will be no different.
Galen Rupp was the last American man to win the Chicago Marathon in 2017. However, he didn't finish the 2019 edition of the event because of injury.
After winning at the 2020 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and competing at the Tokyo Games earlier this year, Rupp is seeking redemption on Sunday.
"Definitely I want to come in here and win, first and foremost," Rupp said, per Cindy Kuzma of Runner's World. "And I think if we can get a great time in there, that'd be a nice added bonus."
When Rupp won this race in 2017, he finished in two hours, nine minutes and 20 seconds. That wasn't the men's record for the event, though, which was set in 2013 by Kenya's Dennis Kimetto, who had a time of 2:03:45.
On the women's side, the record belongs to Kenya's Brigid Kosgei, who won the race in both 2018 and 2019. She finished in 2:14:04 in 2019. However, she won't be competing this year after she ran the London Marathon last week.
So that means there will be a new women's champion in Chicago this year. And one likely top contender is American Sara Hall, who has a chance to set a record of her own during the marathon.
No American woman has completed a marathon in a time faster than 2:19:36, a mark that was set by Deena Kastor at the 2006 London Marathon. If Hall can beat that time on Sunday in Chicago, perhaps she'll also be victorious at the event for the first time.
"When I thought about where I wanted to chase the American record, I thought it would be more exciting to do it at home, in the U.S., and Chicago is such an epic race," Hall said, per NBC 5 News in Chicago.
There also won't be a repeat champion on the men's side. Kenya's Lawrence Cherono isn't running the race after winning with a time of 2:05:45 in 2019.
Although the most recent champions won't be competing, there are likely to be some impressive times posted by those who are taking part. So this Chicago Marathon should be as exciting and competitive as it has been in previous years.
Hayden Holman Dies at Age 22 After Collapsing Near Finish Line of St. George Marathon
Oct 4, 2021
TOKYO, JAPAN August 5: Stadium shadows form a pattern on the running track at the Olympic Stadium during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games on August 5, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Hayden Holman died at the age of 22 shortly after he collapsed near the finish line while running the 26-mile St. George Marathon in Utah on Saturday.
A local 22-year-old man died Saturday while running a marathon in Utah. https://t.co/X9xP28YmpA
"He called (family members) when he was two minutes from the finish line to make sure someone was there to take a picture," his stepmother, Karin Holman, said, per Nate Sunderland of the EastIdahoNews.com. "But he never showed up."
Though emergency personnel administered CPR and were able to get Holman's heart beating again, he eventually died in the hospital.
Holman was from Idaho and attended Brigham Young University-Idaho.
The official cause of death is unknown, although there are plans to perform an autopsy.
