Ethiopians score 1st sweep of Boston Marathon
BOSTON — The Ethiopians ran past the Kenyans on their way to the Boston Marathon finish line Monday and nearly swept the Kenyans off the victory podium.
Lemi Berhanu Hayle won the 120th edition of the men’s race, and Atsede Baysa overcame a 37-second deficit on the women’s side for Ethiopia’s first-ever sweep of the world’s most prestigious marathon.
Kenya had dominated the Boston Marathon since the professional era began in 1986, winning the men’s race 14 straight times (1991-2004) and 20 out of 22 before Desisa earned the first of his two victories three years ago.
The World Anti-Doping Agency put the country’s athletics program on probation after more than 40 athletes tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs since the 2012 Olympics, including three-time Boston winner Rita Jeptoo.
Baysa trailed by 37 seconds at the 35-kilometer checkpoint before chasing down Tirfi Tsegaye on Beacon Street in Brookline, 2 miles from the finish line.
Most of the top Americans, including 2014 winner Meb Keflezighi, skipped the race after running in the U.S. Olympic trials in February.
Other countries pick their Olympic teams by committee, and the performances in Boston could help Monday’s top finishers earn a ticket to Rio de Janeiro.
On a clear day with a slight headwind, cool temperatures at the start warmed to 62 degrees by the time the winners reached the Back Bay.
Fifty years after Bobbi Gibb sneaked onto the course and became the first woman to finish the race, more than 14,000 women were in the field that made the 26.2-mile trek to Copley Square, where a commemorative logo greeted them at the finish.
Gibb served as the grand marshal, riding down Boylston in a sports car before breaking a ceremonial finish-line tape.