Samuel shatters Boston Half course record with sub-60-minute run
Eritrean runner breaks the men's record by 45 seconds while Belayneh claims a third consecutive women's title at Franklin Park.
By Tomas Gonzalez ·
Habtom Samuel of Eritrea finished the Boston Half in 59 minutes, 49 seconds on Sunday, erasing the previous men's course record by 45 seconds. The Boston Athletic Association confirmed that this marks the first half-marathon time recorded in Massachusetts to drop below the 60-minute threshold. Samuel crossed the line more than a minute ahead of Andrea Kiptoo of Kenya to secure the victory.
Samuel described his strategy after the race, noting that he realized he was on pace for a record when he passed the 10K mark. He acknowledged that the first 10K was flat and downhill, but the second half presented the most difficulty. "I said, 'I'm going to fight for the course record!' and I knew when we crossed, I knew I got the course record," he said.
Fentaye Belayneh of Ethiopia retained her women's title for a third consecutive year. She finished in 1:09:14, edging out Winfred Mbithe of Kenya by two seconds. Sintayehu Lewetegn of Ethiopia took third place. Belayneh expressed her enjoyment of the event's atmosphere through an interpreter, citing her previous two victories as reasons for her return.
In the wheelchair categories, Daniel Romanchuk set a new event record while winning the men's division for the third time. His winning time was 45:53. Yen Hoang and Jenna Ayers of the United States tied for first place in the women's wheelchair division, both recording a time of 1:02:54 in a photo finish.
Jack Aho became the top American male runner, placing sixth with a time of 1:01:53. That result stands as the fastest time by an American in the history of the event. Sydney Vaught, running her first half-marathon, was the top American woman. She placed fifth with a time of 1:09:44.
Event records were also set in the para athletics division. Aymon Langlois, Thomas Cantara, and Daniel Buckelew broke men's records in their respective classes. Lisa Maciel and Kelly Bruno set women's records. More than 7,300 athletes completed the race, representing 104 countries and 46 U.S. states.
