Ndereba and Alemu duel; Timothy Cherigat wins
(To get a full appreciation of the race, start at the bottom of the page and read how the race progressed).

Update 10, 2.30 pm--Catherine Ndereba wins women's, Timothy Cherigat's finest hour

Catherine Ndereba added to her stature in the world marathon rankings, with three Boston wins and a world championship win. She won it the hard way, with Elfemnish Alemu of Ethiopia running her hard to mile 25, where Ndereba finally broke the race open.

Timothy Cherigat, whose training partner, La Salle Bank Chicago's 2003 champ Evans Ruto, won the London Marathon yesterday, will have some bragging rights, or so it seems. Cherigat is a 2.09 performer who faded her last year, but Cherigat is on!

Cherigat Hit 20 miles in 1.39.30, 21 miles in 1.44.42, 22 miles in 1.49.32, 23 miles in 1.54.23, 24 miles in 1.59.19, and 40k in 2.03.38.

Timothy Cherigat is leading by over 200 meters with his 2.04.25 split at 25 miles. While the air temp is 85 degrees, it must be considerably hotter on the course.

Timothy Cherigat should have a good arguement for the third and only position still open on the Kenyan Olympic team. Over 200 countries are watching the race live, as Cherigat runs 2.10.40 for his first win at the Boston Marathon in three tries. His victory marks 13 times in last 14 years that Kenyans have won at Boston.

Robert Cheborer takes second and promplty vomits after the finish line.

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Update 9, 2 pm est

What a titanic struggle for the women's title. Catherine Ndereba and Elfemnish Alemu are together. Hitting 23 miles in 2.01.23, 24 miles in 2.07.01 and the 40km in 2.16.57. At 2.18, Ndereba is pushing, and Alemu is falling back. Nedereba is pulling away, Alemu is struggling, and 2000, 2001 champion Catherine Ndereba is on the way to her third victory. ( 24 miles was hit in 2.12.22, and 24.86, 40k was hit in 2.16.56.)

Ndereba wears shades, and the focus on her face is that of a good poker player: she displays no emotion, no pain, just focused running. At a bit over 25 miles, she looks back and she has three and one half city blocks on Boylston until she reaches the finish line.

Catherine Ndereba wipes her forehead, and continues on her way. She began running at age of 12, and ran 3k in high school in 10 minutes. One of nine children, Catherine Ndereba won her third Boston marathon in 2.24.27. Elfemnish Alemu of Ethiopia ran 2.24.43 for second.

At the press conference on Friday, Catherine Ndereba had said that she hoped to achieve Bill Rodgers' four wins.

After the race, Catherine Ndereba is definitely exhausted, and was walked around by medical help.

In third was Olivera Jevtic.

More on the men's race in next update.

Update 8, 1.40 pm est

It is 85 degrees at the finish line, wind is coming from the northeast--highest temperature that has been recorded today...

Men's 2003 Champ Robert Cheriyiot has fallen back as the pack dwindles to three. Rodgers Rop, Martin Lel, Timothy Cherigat, and Robert Cheborer, who dropped back and then came back up. They have hit 18 miles in 1.29.05. Report is that Robert Cheriyiot has stopped, but returned to the race, although not in the lead packs.

Catherine Ndereba and Elfemnish Alemu have been beating themselves up for over ten miles now. 30k was hit in 1.42.32, 19 miles in 1.44.29, 20 miles in 1.50.10, which means the second ten miles was run in 54 minutes and change, faster than the first ten miles. Catherine Ndereba and Elfemnish Alemu are together, hitting 21 miles in 1.55.55.

On the men's side, there are four runners on the hills, hitting mile 17 in 1.24.39, 18 miles in 1.29.02, 30k in 1.32.52. Rodgers Rop is starting to drop back as Timothy Cherigat begins to push in the Newton hills. Remember, readers, that Cherigat did the same thing in 03, when he pushed in Newton then faded. But to these eyes, Cherigat looks tough. He has dropped Rop back twenty meters, and Cherigat is running very hard, trying to make a break.

Timothy Cherigat looks strong, his stride is complete, he is not cutting stride, nor starting to loose form. Everyone behind him looks to be in another race, the survival shuffle....

Alemu and Ndereba, three minutes ahead of the nearest woman, hit 1.59.53 at 35k, running neck and neck. It could be a real close finish. 22 miles was hit in 2.01.23, with the last mile covered in 5.19.

Update 7, 1.25 pm

Catherine Ndereba is leading by inches, with Alemu on her left shoulder, as they hit 18 miles. They have gone through 16 in 1.27.50, 17 in 1.33.36. They are starting to go up to the tough spot, Heartbreak Hill. The Hills of Newton, miles 16-21, with the heat, have not slowed them from 5.20 pace. The hills come at the worst part of the race, so emotionally, they come at you when you are knackered. Ndereba is pushing, and Alemu is very conservative, side by side. This is how the elite athletes know when to move, checking arm swing, checking stride length, checking breathing, watching effort...this gives the athlete a chance to decide when or where to make a move. 17 miles passes in 1.33.26, 18 miles in 1.39.01. Alemu looks better to me, but Ndereba looks to be holding on. They hit 30k in 1.40.16.

The men's pack is down to seven, lead by Rodgers Rop, Robert Cheryiot--the last two champions here, and the heat is starting to play a role. Halfway hit in 1.05.30, 14 miles in 1.10.05, 15 in 1.15.08, and 25k in 1.17.43, with Rodgers Rop in the lead. Robert Cheriyiot, last year's winner, is in some distress....

Update 6, 1.05 pm

Alemu ran a 5.19 for mile 12, in 66.06. Ndereba, like the tough competitor she is, is holding back, six seconds in arears, waiting for her time. Alemu is putting on the pressure....

Rodgers Rop, Martin Lel, Timothy Cherigat, Hailu Negussie are in the lead. They hit 7 miles in 35.04, 8 miles in 40.08, 9 miles in 44.43, and 46.14 for 15k. The pack is picking up the pace and have hit ten miles in 49.44.

The women's race is a duel between Catherine Ndereba and Elfemish Alemu, with Alemu in the lead. Alemu hit 11 in 61.03, 12 in 66.02, 20k in 68.22, 13 in 1.11.45 and the half in 1.12.21. Alemu lead at 14 in 1.17.04, 15 in 1.22.23 and 25k at 1.25.24. And then it happened.

Like a surgeon, Catherine Ndereba cut the lead to zilch and took over from Alemu, who has been leading for 13 miles and making the field remember what they were out there for, for over an hour.

On the men's side, 10 miles was hit in 49.44, 11 miles in 54.45, 12 miles in 59.48. Rodgers Rop, Martin Lel, and Cheryiout, Kimatai are all there...7 in the front pack.

Update 5, 12.45 pm

Elfemnish Alemu is working the pace very hard. At 8 miles in 44.50, 9 miles in 50.11, and 15k in 51.59, and 10 miles in 55.38...That's about 2.24 pace, pretty impressive in this heat. Catherine Ndereba is six seconds back. Alemu, running the 10-11 mile in 5.26, hit 11 miles in 61.01.

At the halfway point on the course, in Wellesley, it is 85 degrees, with a slight wind.

In the men's race, the 10k was hit in 31.10--with the leader being Stephan Kigora and Jackson Kipng'ok of Kenya. The pack includes Rogers Rop, Hailu Negussie, Martin lel, Laban Kipkemboi, and Wilson Chepkwony. Men's pace was 5.06 for one, 10.13 for 2, 15.05 for three, 20.02 for four miles, five miles in 25.05, six miles in 30.04, and 10k in 31.10.

Talk of a sports' day, its Boston vs. New York in Fenway, Boston marathon on Boylston and there's pro hockey as well!

Update 4, 12.20 pm

The mens' elite and open races got off at 12 noon, right on time. 20,300 marathoners began their own personal races through the towns and villages along the Boston marathon course.

Jackson Kipng'ok of Kenya, age 43, lead the mens field. Benjamin Kumutai, Dmitri Kapitonov, Rodgers Rop, Fedor Ryzhov, Martin Lel are in the lead pack. The men hit the mile in 5,00, 2 miles in 10.13, three miles in 15.05 and the 5k in 15.29. Very consistent pace, 2.11 low.

The women's race is the highlight of the race so far. 5k in 18.01, and Elfenish Alemu of Ethiopia took the lead. Alemu hit four miles in 23.11, five miles in 28.33, six miles in 34.05, seven miles in 39.27 and 8 miles in 44.29. Alemu has broken up the elite pack. Alemu has the lead, and Catherine Ndereba has slowly moved into the second position. This should be the Ndereba and Alemu show...more on this later.

Update 3, 11.31 am, est

The elite women are off, 29 minutes before the start of the open race and the elite men's race. 35-45 women started with the elite group. They are going out very conservative. Malgoreska Sobanska of Poland is in the early lead of a large pack, hitting the first mile in 5.51--quite conservative. The pack hit two miles in 11.40.

Very early in the race, but my take is that this pack of 15-20 women will stay together, and this race may end up with a very tactical run, depending on who survives the heat the best. More in a bit.

Open start in about ten minutes. Start temperature is rising....

Update 2, 11.25 am est

And the 108th BAA is off, as the wheelchair racers, 53 of them, leave the start in Hopkinton. It is 83 degrees at the start, and the wind is negligible. It is going to be a very, very hot day...

update 1, 10.45 am est

Welcome to the 108th version of the Boston Marathon! This is, if I am not having a senior moment, our eigth annual web coverage of this hallowed event.

It is about one hour before the start, and the term, Bakin' in Boston, should be used about the 2004 version. The meteorologists are telling us that the race start should hit 75 degrees, and 85 degrees at the finish.

We have been telling runners to add about an hour onto their time, and just relax. Dave McGillvray, the Boston race director told the media to please ask runners to run responsibly.

The race upfront will be tough, at least if you are one of the 14 Kenyan runners vying for the last position on the Kenyan Olympic team. My guess is that we could see five or six men together, coming down Boylston.

Boston historians would tell you that this might be the hottest race in the history of Boston. Past hot days: Jack Fultz's win in 1976, and 1982, when Alberto Salazar and Dick Beardesly dueled to the end.

Well, the women's start is a real change in tradition, starting 29 minutes before the men's. In my humble opinion, this could be a winner, but tough to do during an Olympic year.

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Results can be found at www.baa.org or at www.runningnetwork.com

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