Kenyans surrender Boston Marathon titles

Desiree Linden of the US celebrates after crossing the finish line to win the 2018 and 122nd Boston Marathon Elite Women's race with a time of 2:39:5.in Boston, Massachusetts on April 16, 2018. PHOTO | RYAN MCBRIDE |

What you need to know:

  • Kenya lost the men and women's titles at the 2018 Boston Marathon.
  • There was no Kenyan woman in the top five positions, with defending champion Edna Kiplagat placed eighth in 2:47:14 in a race dominated by Americans who had five finishers in the top 10 places.

Kenya lost the men and women's titles at the 2018 Boston Marathon on Monday.

Japanese Yuki Kawuchi won the men's race in a time of 2:15:54 with American Desiree Linden winning the women's race to become the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years cutting the tape in a time of 2:39:54

Last year's winner Geoffrey Kirui of Kenya was placed second. in 2:18: 21 as Kenyan-born turned American Shadrack Biwott was placed third in 2:18:32.

There was no Kenyan woman in the top five positions, with defending champion Edna Kiplagat placed eighth in 2:47:14 in a race dominated by Americans who had five finishers in the top 10 places.

No US woman had won the Boston crown since Lisa Larsen Weidenbach in 1985.

Linden, 34, won after finishing as the 2011 runner-up, losing by two seconds, and placing fourth in 2015 and 2017.

Kawauchi claimed his first Boston Marathon men's title, capturing his fourth title of the year and fifth in a row at the distance.

The Japanese won a New Year's Day marathon at Marshfield, Massachusetts and followed with triumphs in the Kitakyushu Marathon in Japan and Wanjinshi Marathon in Taiwan before his breakthrough Boston victory.

Kirui broke after the 25km mark and ran a lone race before the Japanese caught up with him in the last few kilometres.