BOSTON — Robert Cheruiyot is well-versed in the Boston Marathon course, with four victories in five trips from Hopkinton to the Back Bay.
Abderrahime Bouramdane visited for the first time Monday, learning what thousands before him have come to understand as they reached Heartbreak Hill, 20 miles in.
“Up,” he said, “is the problem.”
Cheruiyot pulled away from Bouramdane as they entered the Newton Hills, reaching the crest of Heartbreak Hill with a 27-second lead and coasting to the sixth-fastest time in Boston Marathon history.
Dire Tune outkicked Alevtina Biktimirova after a back- and-forth last mile to win by two seconds in the closest finish in the history of the women’s race. Cheruiyot, of Kenya, and Tune, of Ethiopia, each earned a recently enhanced prize of $150,000 — the biggest in major marathon history.
Cheruiyot won in 2 hours, 7 minutes, 46 seconds to become the fourth man to win the race at least four times. He did not challenge the course record of 2:07:14 he set two years ago.
Tune, who finished in 2:25:25, was the first Ethiopian woman to win since Fatuma Roba won three straight from 1997-99. She ran side-by-side with Biktimirova into Kenmore Square, and appeared to give up an edge when she nearly missed one of the final turns.
Tune quickly composed herself and took the lead before the last turn, but Biktimirova regained the lead briefly.
Tune pulled ahead for good on Boylston Street in the last few city blocks and beat the Russian to the line.
Robert Weiner of Evergreen was the top Coloradan in the men’s division, finishing 58th in 2:31:02, while Bean Wrenn of Boulder was the state’s top woman, placing 25th in 2:55:10.
