Former
Stanford All-American Ryan Hall was all smiles on Monday, even though he
finished fourth in the Boston Marathon and failed to end an American
title drought that reaches back to 1983 despite turning in the fastest
time ever for an American in the event.
"Today my goal was to have
fun and run free, and I feel like I did," said Hall, who waved to the
crowds on Boylston Street, perhaps costing himself a chance to catch
Deriba Merga for third place. "Running is not all about records and
places." In all, Hall, 27, was part of the fastest Boston Marathon ever. Kenyan Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot won the 114th race by becoming the first person ever to run the legendary course in under 2 hours, 6 minutes. Cheruiyot finished in 2:05:52 to shatter by 82 seconds the course record set by unrelated four-time winner Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot. Hall, who finished third last year, finished in 2:08.41 and missed another spot on the podium by 2 seconds.
Hall and reigning New York City Marathon champion Meb Keflezighi gave the United States two top-five finishers.
Teyba Erkesso of Ethiopia took the women's title in 2:26:11, sprinting to the tape to win by 3 seconds in the event's third-closest women's finish.
Cheruiyot, 21, surpassed the time of 2:07:14 set in 2006 by his namesake, who is 10 years older. The younger Cheruiyot, who owns a farm back home, earned a bonus of $25,000 for the course record on top of the $150,000 that goes the men's and women's winners.
"I am going to buy some cows," Cheruiyot said.