Africans win Boston marathon crowns

, April 16: Lelisa Desisa Benti won the men's segment of the Boston Marathon 2013 while Rita Jeptoo won the women's segment on Monday morning. For Jeptoo, it was the second crown in her career.

Benti, 23, who was running just his second marathon in Boston (he won in Dubai earlier this year), is a 23-year-old native of Ethiopia who trains with the 2009 edition champion Deriba Merga. He won the competition in 2 hours, 10 minutes and 22 seconds. He said the race was fine for although admitted that the uphill was very challenging.

Kenyan Micah Kogo finished second in 2 hours 10 minutes and 27 seconds while Gebregziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia came third in 2 hours 10 minutes and 28 seconds. Last year's winner Wesley Korir finished in 2 hours 12 minutes and 30 seconds.

Jeptoo, a 32-year-old Kenyan mother, who had last won in 2006, finished in an unofficial time of 2 hours 26 minutes and 25 seconds. Ethiopia's Meseret Hailu was second in 2:26:58 while Kenya's Sharon Cherop finished third in 2:27:01.

Hirouyuki Yamamoto and Tatyana McFadden won the men's and women's wheelchair competitions, respectively.

The world's oldest marathon, however, ended in a bloody affair on Monday after a number of blasts killed three people and injured over 140 at the event.

OneIndia News