Also winner of last year's prestigious New York Marathon, Chebet, 34, winner in 2:05:54 in Boston, achieved the first double since 2008 and established himself as a serious competitor to Kipchoge in his quest for an Olympic treble in Paris in 2024.

"The conditions were very different from last year," Chebet said at the finish, "but I felt it was still my day. And at the 20th kilometre, my training partner, Benson Kipruto, and I thought that was the case."

For Kipchoge, 38, it is a big disappointment and as many questions that now arise, a little more than a year before the Paris 2024 Games, the hilly course of Boston closely resembling what could be that of Paris next year.

Failed gamble for Kipchoge

In Massachusetts, from his first participation, the double Olympic champion (2016, 2021), world record holder (2 h 01 min 09 sec in Berlin on September 25) hoped to complete his collection of victories in the most prestigious marathons in the world.

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge finishes the Boston Marathon in 6th place on April 17, 2023 © Maddie Meyer/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

In light rain and light winds, Kipchoge started relatively quickly, taking advantage of a downhill start to let go of the majority of the competitors.

At the 30th kilometer, he was still leading a group of 7 riders when, just after this symbolic bar, he was unable to follow a first attack of Tanzanian Gabriel Geay.

A second attack, carried by Evans Chebet just before kilometre 35, drew the future podium, Geay and Benson Kipruto, another favourite, being the last to be able to hang on to the Kenyan Basques.

If Chebet finally broke away in the last kilometers, Geay had to work until the end to take second place in the sprint in 2:06:04, just ahead of Kipruto, the man in form after his victory in Chicago last October, finally 3rd in 2:06:06.

Obiri succeeds in his passage over long distance

Unlike the men, the women opted for a group race, with a slow pace from the start.

Kenya's Hellen Obiri poses with the Boston Marathon winner's trophy on April 17, 2023 © Maddie Meyer/GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP

At the 35th kilometer, they were still eight who could hope to win, including the Ethiopian favorite, Amane Beriso, winner of the Valencia marathon in 2 h 14 min 58 sec in December.

Beriso did not resist a final acceleration of Kenyan middle-distance specialist Hellen Obiri, world champion in the 5000m in London in 2017 and Doha in 2019, and who was competing in Boston in the second marathon of her career only.

On the last climb before the finish at Boylston Street, Obiri broke away to finally win in 2:21:38, improving her personal best by more than 3 minutes.

She edged Beriso by 12 seconds and Kenyan-born Israel's Lonah Salpeter by 19.

The race on Monday also marked ten years since the bombing that killed three people and injured nearly 300 on April 15, 2013 near the finish line and was carried out by two American brothers of Chechen and Kyrgyz origin, Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev.

Most of the commemorative events took place on Saturday, including a ceremony at the new finish line.

© 2023 AFP