Cheruiyot wins second straight Boston Marathon

Apr 16, 2007, 18:47 GMT

Boston, MA - Fighting off heavy rain and high winds, Kenya's Robert Cheruiyot captured his second straight Boston Marathon on Monday, while Russia's Lidiya Grigoryeva earned the women's crown for the first time.

Cheruiyot, who also won the race in 2003, crossed the finish line in a time of two hours, 14 minutes and 13 seconds.

Last year, the 28-year-old Cheruiyot won the race in a time of two hours, seven minutes and 14 seconds, eclipsing Cosmas Ndeti's previous record of 2:07:15, set in 1994.

Kenya's James Kwambai finished second in the men's race with a time of 2:14:33 and was followed by fellow countrymen Stephen Kiogora and James Koskei.

The first American to cross the finish line was Peter Gilmore of California. The 29-year-old finished eighth with a time of 2:16:41.

On the women's side, Grigoryeva finished with a time of two hours, 29 minutes and 18 seconds, and became the first Russian to win in 14 years. The 33-year- old was also the first non-Kenyan to cross the finish line first in the last eight years.

Boston-born Deena Kastor, who captured the USA Women's Championship, was the fifth female to finish the race with a time of 2:35:09. Kastor, who made her Boston Marathon debut, currently holds the American record in the marathon as well as the top ranking in the world.

Ohio's Ann Alyanak finished ninth overall and second in the USA Championship with a time of 2:38:55, while Kristin Price of North Carolina was right behind her in 2:38:57, putting three Americans in the top 10.

© 2007 The Sports Network