Boston Marathon 2012 - As It Happens

The 116th Running of the Boston Marathon - As It Happens

Refresh this page every few minutes to see the latest updates. We'll have all of the updates for all races on this one page - trying to make it as easy as possible for our readers to see what's happening.

Note, as you read these reports, they will appear in reverse chronological order. Newest updates will be at the top of each section.

The Coverage:(below) Men's Race | Women's Race

Overview
Why Boston? At 116 years old, this is the most famous and storied marathon in the world. And the 116th running will be no different. The story for the 2011 Boston Marathon was the fast field, perfect conditions and major tailwind to help the runners fly to the finish line.

The story for the 2012 Boston Marathon will be a different one. Rather than perfect conditions, the runners will face a hot day - tempertures at the start are expected to be 78 degrees and will rise into the low 80s before the elite runners finish. Back-of-the-packers might see temperatures in the high 80s.

Some top runners had already withdrawn from the field before the race started (Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, Tadese Tola, Mamitu Deska, Buzuensh Deba). We'll expect the heat to take its toll on the others... Will the races start slowly (especially the women)? Or will the runners push it to the limit with carnage expected - we will see.

Men's Race back to top

The Finish (2:12:40) - Levy Matebo moved ahead of Korir, but Korir was just resting. He pushes hard and breaks away and there is no turning back - the win is his alone in 2:12:40. Korir has shown that he can stay strong in the high temperatures while the other runners melted. Levy Matebo maintains second (2:13:06) and Bernard Kipyego takes the third place in 2:13:13. At 30K, Korir was forty seconds behind the leaders, that was a smart race for him. Jason Hartmann finishes in fourth place and as first American in 2:14:31. For comparison, the winning time of 2:12:40 was the second slowest time in the last 25 years.

40K (2:05:27), Mile 25 (2:06:16); 2:03:55 into the race, Welsey Korir has caught Matebo and is moving ahead... Bernard Kipyego is third, 13 seconds behind. Jason Hartmann has moved into fourth place, 1:20 behind.

Mile 23 (1:55:35) - the slowest mile split of the day as Matebo is running by himself. Kisorio is 22 seconds back and has just been caught by Wesley Korir.

Mile 22 (1:50:11). Levy Matebo has extended his lead to ten seconds over Kisorio. Kisorio's form still seems fine, but Wesley Korir and Bernard Kipyego are working together twenty seconds behind Kisorio and can see where he is and that he's off the lead.

Mile 21 (1:45:03). Levy Matebo crests Heartbreak Hill and takes off - he is running away from Kisorio and should be the presumed winner assuming the heat won't creep up and take another casualty.

Mile 19 (1:34:50). Mile 20 (1:39:50). Matebo and Kisorio are trading off the lead and are more than 30 seconds ahead of the next runners heading up Heartbreak hill.

Mile 18 (1:30:00). 30K (1:33:07) What has happened? Geoffrey Mutai has fallen back 12 seconds - what a surprise. Kisorio and Matebo are running side by side - both look strong. At 30K Geoffry Mutai, has dropped out completely - the report that it is due to cramps. He was our favorite, but the heat and the hills were his better.

Mile 16 (1:20:15), Mile 17 (1:25:05). Levy Matebo, Geoffrey Mutai, Mathew Kisorio have run away from the others - Matebo seemed to initiate the lead and Kisorio moves to lead it out. Mutai looks comfortable letting the others do the work.

25K (1:18:08). The pack is down to 9 men: David Barmasai, Wesley Korir, Levy Matebo, Geoffrey Mutai, Laban Korir, Wilson Chebet, Bernard Kipyego, Mathew Kisorio, Gebre Gebremariam,

Mile 13 (1:05:37), Halfway (1:06:11). The pack remains at fifteen men running at a 2:12 pace.

Mile 12 (1:00:31), 20K (1:02:42). At this pace, the marathon could finish in 2:12 - the finish has not been that slow since the year of the Nor'Easter in 2007 and not before that since 1987. We expect the run will speed up, but it is interesting to see how slow this is.

Mile 11 (55:30). The men are starting to look hot and some must be starting to suffer. In some years the runners will skip some of the elite water stations; in this year, the lead runners are even picking up fluids from the regular water tables - sipping and pouring the water over their head. The temperature is up to 76 degrees - nice for the spectators, but not nice for the runners.

Mile 10 (50:20). Nick Arciniaga has fallen off the back of the pack; and of the Americans only Jason Hartmann remains with the leaders.

Mile 7 (35:01), Mile 8 (40:07), Mile 9 (45:11), 15K (46:49). The pack remains at 16. Hideki Tamura was six seconds off the lead pack at 10K, but has made that up to join the pack - Randall is no longer in the race.

Mile 6 (29:51), 10K (31:02). Randall is swallowed up by the pack, which includes: David Barmasai, Glenn Randall, Wesley Korir, Levy Matebo, Nick Arciniaga, Peter Kamais, Geoffrey Mutai, Laban Korir, Wilson Chebet, Bernard Kipyego, Josphat Ndambiri, Mathew Kisorio, Jason Hartmann, Dickson Chumba, Gebre Gebremariam, Michel Butter. Everyone we would expect to be a contender for a podium spot is still in this group.

Mile 4 (19:25). Mile 5 (24:36) Randall is maintaining his lead. The press truck has actually moved back to the main pack and is ignoring Randall - no one expects he is serious. There is a long way to go in this race and is the case in most years we expect not much to happen until the second half of the race.

Mile 3 (14:35), 5K (15:05). The pack is fifteen seconds behind Randall. There are about twenty men in the main pack.

Mile 2 (9:42). Glen Randall is nine seconds ahead of the pack - obviously just looking for some good television time - and it's working. Randall ran 2:20:40 at the Chicago Marathon in his debut marathon and was a x-country skier at Dartmouth College and is considered an Olympic hopeful for the Winter Olympics - not the typical runner stats we'd expect. Is this race cross-training for his skiing?

Mile 1 (4:51). Randall and Arciniaga about six seconds ahead of a main pack of twenty. Very early in the race.

The men's race has started. While it was 69 degrees 28 minutes earlier when the women started, reports tell us it is 73 degrees at the start of the men's race. The temperature is getting up there. Glenn Randall and Nick Ariciniaga are running way ahead of all others. We ask: "why?"

The Men's Race will start at 10:00AM ET.

Women's Race back to top

The Finish! (2:31:50). The women turn onto Boylston and Sharon Cherop takes off like a rocket. She will take it running away. Jelagat Sumgong is trying to stay with Cherop, but really can't. Sharon Cherop is the women's winner; Jemima Jelagat Sumgong is second (2:31:52). Georgina Rono is third in 2:33:09. Sheri Piers finishes as first American in tenth place in 2:41:55.

Mile 25 (2:25:00). Cherop, Jelagat Sumgong - they are side by side as they have been for the previous few miles. Right on Hereford, left on Boylston...

Mile 23 (2:13:39), Mile 24 (2:19:11), 40K (2:24:07) - Cherop and Jelagat Sumgong, still together. Rono is almost thirty seconds back.

Mile 22 (2:08:08) - Rono has fallen back and it is Jelagat Sumgong and Cherop running side by side. Truthfully, they both look tired and that the heat - now up to 80 degrees - is catching up on them. We'll see who can hold on...

35K (2:06:42) - the three leaders are more than 40 seconds ahead of Caroline Kilel who has passed Dado to run in fourth place.

Mile 21 (2:02:48) Sharon Cherop is running in the front of the pack; Firehiwot Dado is falling back off the pack - as the group is running slightly downhill; another surprise. Sharon Cherop looks back, sees Dado falling back and looks to be picking up the pace - this is now a three woman race with Cherop controlling the race.

Mile 20 (1:56:43). Caroline Kilel has fallen out of the lead pack; she fell way back up Heartbreak Hill. It is a four person race - and we can see all four remaining women running side by side.

30K (1:48:51), Mile 19 (1:50:48). As the five women run past a water table, they all take water, except Sharon Cherop tries and tries to grab a cup but can't keep one in her hand.

Mile 17 (1:39:29), Mile 18 (1:45:15). Caroline Kilel is a few steps behind; but we're receiving a report that was due to an incident where the women were going by a water table and a volunteer ran out to hand out some water and got in a bit of a tangle...

Mile 16 (1:33:30), Mile 17 (1:39:29). The women's pack is now down to 5 women: Caroline Kilel, Firehiwot Dado, Georgina Rono, Sharon Cherop, Jemima Jelegat Sumgong. The women will now be getting to the Newton Hills where more should start to happen.

Mile 14 (1:22:12), Mile 15 (1:28:02). 25K (1:31:02). Ashu Kasim is off the pack which now holds 8 women.

Halfway in 1:17:08 for the women's lead pack of 9. Camille Herron is the first American in place 15, 2min40 back.

Mile 12 (1:11:05), 20K (1:13:25). Sharon Cherop continues to set the pace and the women are respecting the heat. Agnes Kiprop and Nadezha Leonteva are off the pack.

Mile 10 (59:15), Mile 11 (1:05:18). The women are on pace for a 2:35 marathon - that is slow for these runners and would represent the slowest Boston Marathon finish in three decades. In the pack are: Caroline Rotich, Genet Getaneh, Caroline Kilel, Firehiwot Dado, Georgina Rono, Sharon Cherop, Jemima Jelagat, Rita Jeptoo, Agnes Kiprop, Ashu Kasim, Diana Sigei, Nadezdha Leonteva, Mayumi Fujita.

Mile 6 (36:04), 10K (37:05), Mile 7 (41:48), Mile 8 (47:38), Mile 9 (53:20), 15K (55:17). The women are running in the tightest pack we have ever seen. The are just ambling along - staying cool on the hot day...

Mile 4 (24:07), Mile 5 (30:05). The women's pack looks like they're just loping along. Fifteen women in the field, running at about a 2:38 marathon pace in a very tight pack with Caroline Kilel now setting the [slow] pace.

Mile 3 (18:14), 5K (18:49). Sharon Cherop is now the woman who is setting the pace. There should be few changes to the pack

Mile 2 (12:17) - 16 women make up the lead pack, still ambling along. Miyumi Fujita is setting the pace (not a fast one). Caroline Kilel is also at the front sharing the lead.

Mile 1 (6:15) - 6:13 is a slow downhill first mile. All runners are still in one group - we'll see if the slow pace is an indication of things to come or an aberration.

The women have started - the full field is together, looking as if they are jogging along - respecting the heat and distance.

The Women's Race will start at 9:32AM ET. The starting temperature is not terrible - 69 degrees - but it is expected to rise to 81 degrees by the finish. Some of the favorites who were originally announced will not be starting: Mamitu Daska, Buzunesh Deba are out. We'll update as soon as the race starts, minutes away.

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