New Course Record for the Boston Marathon

Yesterday, Monday, April 17, 2006, 22,517 entrants (second largest in Boston Marathon history) set out to complete in the 110th running of the Boston Marathon, each runner trying to achieve their own personal goal.  For Kenyan Robert Cherulyot, his personal goal was achieved as he completed and won the men’s Boston Marathon race in two hours, seven minutes and 14 seconds, setting a new course record as he shaved off 1 second from the previous course record that was set in 1994. 

The women’s race was won by yet another Kenyan - Rita Jeptoo.  Rita, who was racing her first race on American soil, took the women’s race in a time of two hours, twenty three minutes and 38 seconds.  For Rita, who also won marathons in Stockholm and Milan in 2004, the Boston Marathon almost never happened due to a lost passport.  However, Rita made it to Boston, and although she never even had time to drive the course, let alone run it, she still managed to outrun the second place finisher by 10 seconds.

Runners at the Boston Marathon represented 94 countries and 50 states.