U&PDATE | Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa wins Boston Marathon

Published April 15, 2019 at 9:48 a.m.
Updated April 15, 2019 at 12:12 p.m.

BOSTON (AP) — Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa broke away from the rest of the field early and ran alone for the last 20 miles to win the women’s Boston Marathon on Monday.

Degefa crossed the finish line in Boston’s Back Bay in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 23 minutes, 30 seconds.

She is the eighth Ethiopan woman to win the race, and the third in seven years.

It’s her first major marathon victory. She won the Dubai Marathon in 2017, setting an Ethiopian national record in the process.

A half marathon specialist, Degefa opened up a 20-second advantage by Mile 7. It increased to more than three minutes by the halfway point.