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Kenya’s Caroline Rotich had an amazing finish, blasting past Mare Dibaba (ETH) in the last 200 yards in becoming the 2015 female winner of the Boston Marathon. Rotich’s winning time was 2:24:55 with Dibaba in 2:24:59.

Third place went to Ethiopia’s Buzunesh Deba in 2:25:09.  Fourth place went to American Desiree Linden in 2:25:39.

2015 Boston Marathon Top 10 Women

1. Caroline Rotich (KEN) – 2:24:55
2. Mare Dibaba (ETH) – 2:24:59
3. Buzunesh Deba (ETH) – 2:25:09
4. Desiree Linden (USA) – 2:25:39
5. Sharon Cherop (KEN) – 2:26:05
6. Caroline Kilel (KEN) – 2:26:40
7. Aberu Kebede (ETH) – 2:26:52
8. Shure Demise (ETH) – 2:27:14
9. Shalane Flanagan (USA) – 2:27:47
10. Joyce Chepkirui (KEN) – 2:29:07

Ethiopia’s Lelisa Desisa Wins the 2015 Boston Marathon (Results)

Congrats to all of the finishers of the Boston Marathon!

Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been found guilty by a federal jury of the Boston Marathon bombings that took place on April 15, 2013.  He orchestrated the bombings with his now dead brother, Tamerlan Tsarnaev who died in the search and capture by authorities.

Over 250 people were injured and three died during the bombings. The defense tried to argue that Dzhokhar was under the influence of his brother.

In a bid to save Tsarnaev from a death sentence, defense attorney Judy Clarke has argued that Tsarnaev, then 19, fell under the influence of his radicalized brother. Tamerlan, 26, died when he was shot by police and run over by his brother during a chaotic getaway attempt days after the bombing.

“If not for Tamerlan, it would not have happened,” Clarke told the jury during closing arguments.

Prosecutors, however, portrayed the brothers — ethnic Chechens who moved to the U.S. from Russia more than a decade ago — as full partners in a plan to punish the U.S. for its wars in Muslim countries. Jihadist writings, lectures and videos were found on both their computers, though the defense argued that Tamerlan downloaded the material and sent it to his brother.

The next step will be the sentencing where the jury will decide if Tsarnaev should be executed or spend his life in prison.

The big news today and all over social media was that the Boston Marathon finish line was shoveled out from under snow by a local bartender.

Tune back in tomorrow to see if anyone has done anything to solve world hunger or the sex trade industry.

Now ESPN’s Darren Rovell is reporting that, “Adidas has offered the guy who shoveled the Boston Marathon finish line (@loodini) an entry in this year’s race.”

Foursquare founder Dennis Crowley has been forced to publicly apologize after fact came to light that his wife Chelsa Crowley ran the 2014 Boston Marathon last week with a fake bib (#34033).

Bandits running the race has been a long time tradition for the Boston Marathon but after the bombing a year ago race directors sought to crack down on the practice where runners, who haven’t qualified for the race, run the course, drink fluids, add more burden on volunteers, and accept a medal (a true bandit would never accept a medal).

The ruse went well with Dennis and Chelsa posting photos on Twitter and elsewhere celebrating their matching Boston finishes until the rightful holder of Bib #34033, Kathy Brown, went onto Marathon Foto to check out her official race photos from the race. Upon viewing the photos for her bib # she was shocked to discover there was another #34033 that looked nothing like her.

And almost as if from an episode of America’s Dumbest Criminals, Brown quickly noticed that the other #34033 had her Twitter handle @chelsa written on a piece of paper and attached to her bib.

Brown expressed her outrage upon figuring it all out, “I put that work in and it wasn’t fair that someone else didn’t have to do that. That was my first thought.”

Brown told Team 5 Investigates she was stunned to see that a woman wearing a bib with her number. It’s a number she said she earned by following the rules and raising money to fight multiple sclerosis, a disease that claimed her uncle’s life.

There was also a tweet exchange where someone asked @dens (Dennis), “Fake bib? 34033” and @chelsa (Chelsa) responded on Twitter, “shh!!”

This is just one instance of several stories and photos involving fake bibs from Boston that have appeared on the internet over the past few days.

But with Chelsa we have photo proof of the fraudulent bib, a Tweet confessing as much, and an apology now from her husband, Dennis.

And sometimes there is more to the story that might not justify the reason but at least help explain the logic and thinking of that person and why they did what they did.

Dennis has come out and apologized for his wife using the fake bib to gain entry to run the Boston Marathon.

The short version of story is that they both legally ran the race together last year when the bombing took place. Chelsa finished moments before the bomb went off while Dennis was stopped miles back and not allowed to finish. He was given a guaranteed entry for the 2014 race because he wasn’t allowed to finish. Chelsa was not given a guaranteed entry into 2014 because she finished the 2013 marathon before the bombing.  She did not qualify or otherwise, via charity/sponsor, gain an official entry into the 2014 race. Dennis wanted to finish the Boston marathon this year with his wife by his side.

“Yes, using a duplicate number to get Chelsa into the starting corral with me was wrong,” Dennis wrote. “I don’t expect everyone to understand our strong need to run and finish together — but after trying unsuccessfully to get a charity number and trying unsuccessfully to officially transfer a number from an injured-runner friend, we did what we could to make sure we could run together in hopes of finishing together.”

“I sent an email to Kathy Brown, the woman who rightfully earned #34033 to apologize for any disrespect, hurt feelings or confusion,” he said. “Our intent was never to ‘steal’ anything from anyone — our intent was to finish the Boston Marathon together as we tried to do last year.”

“Again, sincerest apologies to anyone we offended or disrespected, including the [Boston Athletic Association] and the police/fire/EMT crews that worked so hard to make sure Monday’s race was safe for all runners,” he wrote and signed the letter on behalf of his wife.

A lot worse things happen in the world. I often hear of a lot worse things that runners do during a race. However, it’s against the rules and will truly upset a lot of people. The race has a strong and almost acknowledged, turn the other cheek, of bandits over the years. The Crowley’s are probably just too smart and tried to make it look too real and legit. That in addition to security tightening up and warnings from the BAA that it intended to use strict enforcement this year to keep bandits at bay for security reasons.

The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) is investigating Chelsa’s fraudulent bib along with many others and will eventually render a decision that will likely be a lifetime ban from the Boston Marathon and BAA events.

Naturally, upset runners are laying into them both and especially Chelsa as you can see in this Twitter feed HERE.

Everyone makes mistakes. She isn’t the first bandit to run the Boston Marathon and won’t be the last. Thousands have done it over the years including someone you very likely know. The couple has apologized via Dennis and hopefully most can forgive them both and appreciate their coming forward and owning it. And perhaps it would hold a very public lesson to others to not do the same in the future.

However, another issue that comes into play is liability. If she were, Lord forbid, die or pass out or go into cardiac arrest during the race then volunteers, medics, ambulance and resources would be used and taken away from perhaps another runner that is facing similar medical need. Insurance for the race I would assume would only cover runners that are officially registered participants. I doubt if she had broke her leg she would have told paramedics to leave her alone that she was merely a bandit. It opens up a wide range of issues, mostly not good, when banditing happens. The BAA, like MLB during the steroid era, has just been too lax and accepting of it over the years and it won’t cease or be corrected instantaneously. The public embarrassment alone will likely teach many a lesson, but I’m sure there were hundreds more that ran without a bib or numbers that didn’t replicate official participants.

And with that said I believe there is an obligation on big races (outside of Boston) that are charging exorbitant entry fees to allow runners the option to defer up to a certain date or transfer their bib to another runner legally for a nominal transfer fee. Most banditing or illegal bib use happens simply from a financial perspective for many money strapped runners that paid a lot of money for a bib then can’t run due to injury or family obligations. So they will often illegally sell it at a discount to help recoup some of that cost and the purchaser is then able to get into a race that closed months ago. If the larger races can ease the transfer of bibs pre-race up to a certain date then it will likely help decrease the number of bandits and illegal bibs at races.

Earlier this week on social media we learned of another Boston Marathoner, Kara Bonneau, who much like Kathy Brown, logged onto Marathon Foto to check out her photos and found FOUR other runners photographed wearing HER bib #14285 (which is quickly become the most popular 5 digit race bib of all-time.)

Almost Thomas Crown comical at that point. All that was missing were the suits and top hats.

The Worst Things Runners Have Seen Other Runners Do During a Race

Dennis Crowley’s Boston Marathon Blog Post Discussing the 2013 Bombings Forward to the 2014 Race

[images: Twitter @dens @chelsa]

Media mogul Ryan Seacrest interviewed 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi early this morning on his radio show On Air with Ryan Seacrest on KIIS FM based in Los Angeles.

“It makes me appreciate life. It took 31 years for an American to win it, but most importantly it was a very meaningful victory, not for me, but for Boston, for San Diego, for United States and people who help me and the world!”

Listen to the complete interview above!

Related 2014 Boston Marathon Stories
Meb Keflezighi Runner’s World Interview After Winning Boston
Meb Keflezighi Wins the 2014 Boston Marathon (Top Elite Male Results)
Rita Jeptoo Wins the 2014 Boston Marathon (Top Elite Female Results)
2014 Boston Marathon Live Blog/Coverage
118th Boston Marathon Finisher’s Medal
2014 Elite Men and Women Running the Boston Marathon

Below you will find an interesting 8 minute interview 2014 Boston Marathon winner Meb Keflezighi did with Runner’s World just a couple hours after winning his first Boston Marathon.

He says in the interview that it’s by far the top accomplishment in his well decorated running career.

Well done, Meb!

American Meb Keflezighi won the 118th Boston Marathon earlier today with a time of 2:08:37.

Meb after the race, “It was my dream to win Boston and to make it just like the Red Sox did and do the same thing for the people.”

He kept looking over his shoulder the last three miles to see how much distance he had on Chebet. He stated afterwards, “Looking back is not a bad thing, it can save you a win.”

He had enough left in his tank to hold off Kenya’s Wilson Chebet who finished 11 seconds behind the San Diego native in 2:08:48. Chebet’s fellow countryman Frankline Chepwony finished just two seconds behind him in 2:08:50.

Top 10 Boston Marathon Male Finishers:
1. Meb Keflezighi (San Diego, Calif.) 2:08:37
2. Wilson Chebet (KEN) 2:08:48
3. Frankline Chepwony (KEN) 2:08:50
4. Vitaliy Shafar (UKR) 2:09:37
5. Markos Geneti (ETH) 2:09:50
6. Joel Kimurer (KEN) 2:11:03
7. Nick Arciniaga (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 2:11:47
8. Jeffrey Eggleston (Boulder, Colo.) 2:11:57
9. Paul Lonyangata (KEN) 2:12:34
10. Adil Annani (MAR) 2:12:43

Super congrats to Meb on such a historic day in Boston. Chebet and Chepwony were great as well reaching the podium. Congrats as well to fellow Americans Nick Arciniaga and Adil Annani on their top 10 finishes.

American Ryan Hall finished in 20th place in 2:17:50.

Rita Jeptoo Wins the 2014 Boston Marathon (Top 10 Female Results)

Photos of Meb’s 2014 Boston Marathon Win

Kenya’s Rita Jeptoo won the 118th Boston Marathon for the women moments ago with a course record time of 2:18:57. It was Rita’s third Boston Marathon win and back to back win after winning last year as well.

Second and third place went to Ethiopia’s Buzunesh Deba and Mare Dibaba respectively.

Top 10 Boston Marathon Female Finishers
1. Rita Jeptoo (KEN) 2:18:57
2. Buzunesh Deba (ETH) 2:19:59
3. Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:20:35
4. Jemima Jelagat Sumgong 2:20:41
5. Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 2:21:28
6. Aleksandra Duliba (BLR) 2:21:29
7. Shalane Flanagan (USA) 2:22:02
8. Sharon Cherop (KEN) 2:23:00
9. Philes Ongori (KEN) 2:23:22
10. Desiree Linden (USA) 2:23:54

Meb Keflezighi Wins the 2014 Boston Marathon (Top 10 Male Results)

Congrats to Rita on the repeat and her third Boston Marathon finish. Props also to American Shalane Flanagan who ran an extremely strong race leading from the start until around mile 20 as well as to fellow American Desiree Linden on her top 10 finish..

Here is the much coveted and historic finisher’s medal from the 118th Boston Marathon that was held on April 21, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts.

Congrats to all who qualified, ran, and finished the 2014 Boston Marathon!

Running Medals Trophy Case

Live blog and coverage of the Boston Marathon on April 21, 2014. The race starts at 9:30am ET. Our coverage will start a few minutes before.

(REFRESH for Updates)

Top 10 Boston Marathon Male Finishers:
1. Meb Keflezighi (San Diego, Calif.) 2:08:37
2. Wilson Chebet (KEN) 2:08:48
3. Frankline Chepwony (KEN) 2:08:50
4. Vitaliy Shafar (UKR) 2:09:37
5. Markos Geneti (ETH) 2:09:50
6. Joel Kimurer (KEN) 2:11:03
7. Nick Arciniaga (Flagstaff, Ariz.) 2:11:47
8. Jeffrey Eggleston (Boulder, Colo.) 2:11:57
9. Paul Lonyangata (KEN) 2:12:34
10. Adil Annani (MAR) 2:12:43

12:14pm – Only fitting that Meb wins this historic 2014 Boston Marathon one year after the traumatic events of last year’s race.

12:09pm – MEB WINS!!!!!!! 2014 Boston Marathon Winner – Meb Keflezighi fist pumping, urging the crowd on as he approaches the tape! (via @BostonMarathon)

12:08pm – < 1000m to go for Meb. Let's go MEB!!! #runitfast 12:06pm - Last USA win at Boston was in 1983. Meb's drained near empty and second place is making up ground fast. Wilson Chebet is the chaser. 12:05pm - Meb is past 25 miles. Meb 2:02:32 at 25 12:00pm - Meb is at mile 23 with a 4:56 split. Can he? It's sure looking that way.

Top 10 Boston Marathon Female Finishers
1. Rita Jeptoo (KEN) 2:18:57
2. Buzunesh Deba (ETH) 2:19:59
3. Mare Dibaba (ETH) 2:20:35
4. Jemima Jelagat Sumgong 2:20:41
5. Meselech Melkamu (ETH) 2:21:28
6. Aleksandra Duliba (BLR) 2:21:29
7. Shalane Flanagan (USA) 2:22:02
8. Sharon Cherop (KEN) 2:23:00
9. Philes Ongori (KEN) 2:23:22
10. Desiree Linden (USA) 2:23:54

11:58am – Women’s elite winner Rita Jeptoo’s (KEN) 2:28:57 time is a course record. (via @BostonMarathon) Congrats on the repeat and 3rd Boston win. 8th fastest female marathon ever.

11:56am – Shalane Flanagan sets US record for fastest time at Boston Marathon in 2:21:01

11:55am – BOSTON MARATHON FEMALE WINNER: Rita Jeptoo (KEN) sets a course record (~2:18:57) to win the women’s 2014 Boston Marathon. Congrats to Rita who was so strong in finishing.

11:52am – 9 minutes away from Rita Jeptoo winning the Boston Marathon. Meb continues to kick and lead the men.

11:51am – 5:12 mile for Meb over Heartbreak Hill.

11:49am – Rita Jeptoo just knocked off a 4:47 split at mile 24. She is less than 2 miles from winning the 2014 Boston Marathon.

11:48am – Last year’s third place finisher in the men’s field Gebregziabher Gebremariam (ETH) has dropped out of the race at mile 15. (via @BostonMarathon)

11:45am – At 23 miles, the 2013 and 2006 Boston Marathon champion, Rita Jeptoo (KEN), establishes a large lead over the pack (2:03:01/5:14 split). (via @BostonMarathon)

11:44am – Meb is past mile 20 still looking pretty strong. Few signs of fatigue popping up.

11:41am – Amazing that the rest of the elite men have disappeared. Meb is having a great race but he is not blazing the course.

11:39am – Meb Keflezighi turns in a 4:58 clip to reach mile 18 in 1:28:04. (via @BostonMarathon) and 4:47 to mile 19.

11:34am – Mare Dibiba leads the women at mile 21. Meb continues to lead the men and has a large lead of 15 seconds.

11:30am – The women have hit mile 20 and Buzunesh Deba has taken the lead. 4 women remain in lead back. Flanagan has fallen off and out of the lead back.

11:27am – Meb is at mile 16 and his last mile split was 4:37.

11:22am – Meb looks extremely strong yet very relaxed. 25K in 1:15:59

11:21am – Meb has turned it up and is starting to put a bit of distance on Boit. The rest of the elite men must have stopped for a nap because they are no where in the picture at this point.

11:19am – Shalane is looking a bit more strained. 6 elite women are on her shoulder likely waiting for the chance to try to drop the hammer on Flanagan. A very impressive race by Flanagan no matter what happens from this point forward.

11:11am – Meb Keflezighi and Josphat Boit hit the half way point at 1:04.20. Their lead is up to 38 seconds and they are well alone in front of the other elite men.

11:09am – Women are at mile 17. Flanagan starting to get pushed and challenged a bit. (1:30:17)

11:04am – Tatyana McFadden (USA) wins her second straight push rim title (time: 1:35:06). (via @BostonMarathon)

11:02am – We are less than 60 min from having a female winner of the 118th Boston Marathon.

11:00am – 2014 Boston Marathon Finisher’s Medal (Pic)

10:59am – Shalane has been nothing less than dominant to this point. She might be putting something magical together today, but there is a lot of race left.

10:51am – Shalane hits the halfway point and is leading the women at a course record pace. She hit 13.1 in 1:09:25.

10:50am – Meb Keflezighi leading the men’s field at mile 8 by about eight seconds. Total time 39:10, 4:54 split. (via @BostonMarathon)

10:49am – Women are near the half way point. Shalane still up front. Ryan Hall has picked up the pace and is pacing the elite men at this point.

10:42am – Ernst Van Dyk breaks the tape to claim his 10th Boston Marathon title (wheelchair)!

10:41am – The elite women, continued to be led by Shalane Flanagan, are approaching Wellesley College.

10:35am – Flanagan continues to lead the women. Men’s elite led by Hall (USA), Keflezighi (USA) and Markos Geneti (ETH) run a 10k in 30:28. (via @BostonMarathon)

10:32am – Almost an exclusively white field of runners behind the elites today. Hopefully our sport can diversify over the next decade.

10:31am – Elite women pack down to 7 with Shalane leading the group.

10:30am – Wave #2 has been released and thousands more men and women have begin their journey towards Boston.

10:27am – Still a large pack of elite men bundled together. Slow pace so far. It’ll pick up once one of these elite men is tired of plodding along and believes he can get out and put some distance on everyone.

10:25am – The men’s field goes through mile 4 in 19:29 (~2:08:00 pace). (via @BostonMarathon)

10:24am – Men 24 sec behind world record pace at the 5k point.

10:23am – 19 min in and USA’s Meb is leading the 118th Boston Marathon.

10:19am – Tatyana McFadden (USA) distances herself in at mile 15 for the wheelchair women lead (52:21) (via @BostonMarathon)

10:16am – The elite pack of men is currently being led by Americans Ryan Hall and Meb.

10:14am – At the 10K mark (Framingham), Buzunesh Deba (ETH) and Flanagan (USA) pace the elite women’s lead pack (32:32). (via @BostonMarathon)

10:08am – 4:49 pace for the elite men through mile 1.

10:04am – Ernst Van Dyk leads the men’s chair through mile 12 in 34:39. (via @BostonMarathon)

Boston Marathon Qualifying Times/Standards

10:03am – The elite men and corral 1 is off! [TV talking head disses women, “And now it feels like the Boston Marathon has officially begun!”]

10:00am – Lelisa Desisa, last year’s winner, donning bib #1.

9:59am – The elite men are being introduced. Will a course record happen today?

9:57am – Flanagan back up front 24 min in after catching back up after the refueling station. Deba is next within the lead back behind Flanagan.

9:56am – I agree that Abdi strongly resembles Kobe Bryant facially.

9:55am – 5 minutes until the elite men start. How will Americans Ryan and Meb do today?

9:54am – Women field cross the 5K at a blazing 16:10 Flanagan (USA) continues to lead the 12 runner pack. (via @bostonmarathon)

9:52am – Fun Fact: It takes over 10,000 volunteers to put on the Boston Marathon.

9:50am – Shalane Flanagan continues to lead the lead elite women pack with about 10 runners in it.

9:47am – Dick and Ricky Hoyt just started with the rest of the push chairs.

9:46am – Fast start for the women. 5min9sec for the first mile by leader Shalane Flanagan.

9:45am – 15 minutes until the elite men start!

9:33am – The elite women have started! The strongest and deepest field according to many local experts and commentators.

9:31am – The introductions of the elite runners are taking place and we are moments away from the start of the 118th Boston Marathon. 57 degrees for the start of the race.

9:30am ET – Official start time for the elite male and female athletes.

2014 Boston Marathon Elite Men and Women

Watch the Boston Marathon Live TV Feed

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