The London-born athlete ran faster than Mo Farah’s British record of 2:05:11 in Boston, but the 24-year-old recently decided to switch allegiance to the US.
In a day of fast times on the streets of Boston, John Korir ran a course record of 2:01:52, Sharon Lockedy won the women’s race in 2:18:51 and Anglo-American distance runner Charles Hicks clocked 2:04:35.
Hicks was born in London and lived in Fulham until the age of 12. After moving to the US to study at Stanford and later join the Bowerman Track Club in Oregon, he went on to compete for Britain, winning European under-23 titles in the 5,000m and cross-country, but switched last year to represent a country he feels more at home in, the United States.
Had Hicks not switched nationalities, his 130th Boston Marathon on Monday (April 20) would have been the fastest ever by a British runner, surpassing Mo Farah’s national record of 2:05:11 from Chicago in 2018.
Thanks to his transfer of allegiance, however, that meant he didn’t even finish as the top American in Boston, as that honor went to Zuhair Talbi, 2:03:45, who, like Hicks, was born in Morocco but switched allegiance to the United States.
Hicks made his mark a few years ago when he became the second fastest British teenager in history over 10,000 meters behind Dave Bedford.
At 24, she has now lived the first half of her life in the UK and the second half in the United States. But inside interview within this month AW: magazineHe says: “The more time I spent outside the UK, the more I felt like a fraud.”
It was her second marathon after clocking 2:09:59 in New York last November, just a few seconds behind. Britain’s Patrick Dever, who is leading the indoor challenge for the London Marathon this weekend.
In Boston, Hicks crossed the halfway mark in 61:55, five seconds slower than Korir and 12 seconds behind leader Lemy Berhanou, before picking off several rivals in the second half of the race.
While New York is not known as a fast track, Boston can be fast if runners benefit from tailgating. It happens sometimes, most notably in 2011 when Jeffrey Mutai ran 2:03:02, the fastest marathon in history, with Ryan Hall beating America’s Best in 2:04:58, a few years before super shoes would make their mark.
As a point-to-point course, Boston is not eligible for records. Still, it’s a tough, hilly road, and the athletes can be proud of their performances.
Korir was delighted with his 2:01:52 as he pulled away from the field with 10km to go, eventually winning by almost a minute, sticking out his tongue and gesticulating with his arms in the final metres.
The 29-year-old is made of tough stuff. The Kenyan won his first title in Boston last year despite recovering from a crash in the opening stageswhile here he defended the crown in style as he took the second half to 60:02.
Fighting for second, Tanzania’s Alphonse Simbu showed the same strength and speed that won him the world title last year as he edged out Kenya’s Benson Kipruto in 2:02:47 to Kipruto’s 2:02:50.
Ethiopia’s Hailemariam Kiros was third in 2:03:42, followed by Talbi and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana in fifth in 2:04:18.
Hicks was sixth with Germany’s Richard Ringer, the night’s former 10,000m PB winner and European marathon champion, next in 2:04:47.
Like Korir, Lokedi successfully defended his title from last year. The 32-year-old is also a former New York City winner.
The women’s race was tougher than the men’s, with the leaders crossing the halfway point in 71:02.
Lokedi was too strong for her rivals in the closing stages as she won, but Kenyan Lois Kemnung finished second in 2:19:35, with Mary Ngugi-Cooper, a Kenyan with great British connections, third in 2:20:07.
Uganda’s Mercy Chelangat was fourth in 2:20:30 as Jess McClain ran a top US home record of 2:20:49, breaking Shalane Flanagan’s US women’s course record of 2:22:02 set in 2014.
In the wheelchair race, Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper won her second Boston Marathon title with a time of 90:51 in the women’s race.
Marcel Haag set a men’s course record of 76:06.
