Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge, considered one of the greatest marathon runners of all time, placed sixth in the 2023 Boston Marathon, finishing at 2:09:23, more than three minutes behind winner Evans Chebet of Kenya. Kipchoge set the pace for the first 19 miles, but lost contact with the lead pack when Gabriel Geay of Tanzania surged in the 20th mile. Kipchoge finished in seventh place and was never again a factor in the race. This is only the third marathon Kipchoge has lost in 20 starts, having finished second in his second marathon in 2013 and eighth in the 2020 London Marathon. Kipchoge, who set the second marathon world record of 2:01:09 in Berlin less than seven months ago, had appeared confident about the hilly Boston course, but was seen limping slightly after the race and did not answer questions from the media. In a statement, Kipchoge said, “Today was a tough day for me. I pushed myself as hard as I could, but sometimes we must accept that today wasn’t the day to push the barrier to a greater height.”
