Tanzania's Gabriel Geay beats Kenyan duo to win Boston Marathon

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania’s long distance runner Gabriel Geay emerged at the top in the Boston 10km road race held in Boston, USA, on Sunday.

Geay clocked 27.49 to take home the gold medal in the event, in which athletes from 49 states and 102 countries participated in the 6.2-mile race through Back Bay. Geay received $10,000 (Sh24 million).

This is his second B.A.A. 10K win in five years. The runner’s first gold medal in the race was in 2018 after clocking 28:24, while Kenya’s Mary Wacera won the women's race with 31:55.

A pack of nine men hit the halfway mark in 14:11, though Geay soon began pressing the accelerator. He’d hit 8K with a five-second lead (22:16) before extending the margin of victory to 11 seconds at the finish.

"I tried to push since the start, and after six or five kilometres, I tried again to push it. There were three guys at my back, but in a few metres they dropped off. I was intending to win," said Geay. "The time was fast. I was hoping to run 27; I’m happy because of the weather."

"I got my tactics from my coach," said Geay shortly after the race. "Use your brain, you don’t have to always lead," he reflected, explaining his race plan, which enabled him to win the race.

The event saw Kenyan Edwin Kurgat place second after clocking 28:01 and compatriot Alex Masai in third with 28.9.

In women, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, returning to the city two months after winning the 127th Boston Marathon, took home the win in the women’s open division.

The two-time Olympic Games 5,000m silver medalist won the women's race, leading to a podium sweep by Kenyans Stacy Ndiwa and Sheila Chepkirui for second and third positions, respectively.

The double Manchester Great Run champion clocked 31:21, with Ndiwa in 31.25 and Chepkiruiu in 31.27.