Boston Marathon Results: Wrong Turn Costs Winner $50K

BOSTON — Even Massachusetts residents struggle to navigate the streets of Boston. Usually that just makes us late to dinner. But for the winner of the Boston Marathon's men's wheelchair race, a bad turn cost him a new course record — and the $50,000 prize that goes with it.

The winners of the pandemic-paused Boston Marathon are in. Celebrations 30 months in the making are taking place throughout the route as thousands continue to run.

And for Switzerland's Marcel Hug, who crossed the Boylston Street finish line for the fifth time just one day after finishing second in Chicago, it's one he won't forget.

The men's wheelchair winner took a wrong turn in the race's final mile, slowing him down just enough to fall short of breaking his own course record. He still won in 1 hour 8 minutes 11 seconds, but he missed out on the $50,000 prize that would have accompanied the record victory.

"The car went straight and I followed the car," Hug said. "But it's my fault. I should go right, but I followed the car."

Kenya's Benson Kipruto and Diana Kipyogei won the men's and women's elite races, respectively, highlighting the most unique marathon in the race's 125-year history.

This is Kipruto's first Boston victory, having finished 10th the last time the race was held in 2019. He crossed the Boylston Street finish line in 2 hours 9 minutes 48 seconds, according to unofficial times. Lemi Berhanu, who won in 2016, was 46 seconds behind in second place.

"There's not a lot different on the course," Kipruto said. "The weather was a bit better. Here, the weather is not predictable."

Kipyogei led a 1-2-3-4 finish for Kenyans on the women's side. Edna Kiplaget, 2017's winner, finished 24 seconds behind as the first runner-up.

Hug's countrywoman Manuela Schär defended her women's wheelchair title 1:35:21.

Thousands more runners are still making their way through the Boston Marathon, the first time in over 900 days competitors have worked toward the Boylston Street finish line.

If you want to track a particular runner, go to the Boston Athletic Association's tracker. You can search them via electronic chips if you have their bib number, name or city/town they are from.

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The 2021 Boston Marathon for the first time is taking place in the fall, pushed back six months from its traditional April date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 Boston Marathon was postponed before being canceled, the first time the race didn't take place in its 124-year history (though there was a virtual event.)

The race's defending champions, Lawrence Cherono of Kenya and Worknesh Degefa of Ethiopia, wore the crown for thirty months. They did not attempt to defend their titles this year.

The Marathon returned with a reduced field of fewer than 20,000 runners — the usual amount is over 30,000. Those running won't need to wear masks on the course, but they will if they enter any medical tents or other facilities; Boston has an indoor mask mandate in effect. Runners must be vaccinated or have a recent negative COVID-19 test.

This year featured rolling starts as a pandemic precaution. Runners have six hours to complete the course.

The Boston Marathon is unique to major counterparts across the world in that much of the race takes place outside the city. Runners will start in Hopkinton, pass through Ashland, Framingham, Natick, Wellesley, Newton and Brookline and finish in Boston.

Newton is home to Heartbreak Hill, a famously grueling stretch 20 miles from the start line. Race officials are asking runners and spectators to keep their lips to themselves this year, a reference to the historically smooch-happy "Scream Tunnel" at Wellesley College, near the race's halfway point.

Heading to the race? Find the best place to watch the Boston Marathon, no matter where you're going.

There is the chance for rain Monday, but it's expected to be much, much lighter than in previous years, which saw runners soaked to the bone. It should otherwise comfortable, with temperatures ranging throughout the 60s all day.

Viewers can watch the local feed of the Boston Marathon on WBZ-TV (catch the online stream here) from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. A rerun of the race will be shown at 8 p.m. on myTV38.

There will be live national coverage on NBC. People watching outside the United States can find who is carrying the race here.

Find out more about the race broadcasts here.

Want more on the Boston Marathon? Bookmark this story for live updates throughout the day, and visit our Boston Marathon 2021 hub for additional content.

Even with the game in October instead of on Patriots Day, the Red Sox will continue the tradition of playing a baseball game a few miles away at Fenway Park. Instead of a 11 a.m. start time, Boston will host Tampa Bay at 7 p.m. in Game 4 of the American League Division Series.

"It's a special day for everybody," Sox manager Alex Cora said before Friday's Game 2. "And yeah, I mean, that's the goal, right? To play two at home. And it should be a very special day for us."

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Materials from The Associated Press were used in this report