Women's Race Day Commentary

By virtue of her second-place finish, Tune moves into second place in the 2008-2009 World Marathon Majors Series with 40 points. Kosgei now has 30 points, putting her in a tie for third.

12:08 p.m.
After last year's thrilling duel between Tune and Biktimirova, which resulted in the closest women's finish ever in Boston -- this year's finish remarkably has eclipsed that, with Kosgei beating Tune by just one second.

12:06 p.m.
2:32:15 is the unofficial winning time, with Tune likely 1 second, or less, behind.

12:05 p.m.
Goucher finishes in third, followed by Bekele in fourth.

12:05 p.m.
Tune flashes in front! Then Kosgei answers! Tune back in front as they near the tape!

In the final steps, Kosgei takes it!

12:03 p.m.
Kosgei surges into the lead!

12:03 p.m.
Tune and Kosgei side by side, with Goucher trailing, turn onto Boylston.

In a repeat of last year, Tune is surging down Boylston.

12:02 p.m.
All three women are on Hereford together, approaching the final turn onto Boylston Street.

12:02 p.m.
Goucher just removed her gloves and threw them to the side of the road.

12:01 p.m.
The three remain together passing underneath Mass Ave, with about half a mile to go. Tune leads, then Kosgei and Goucher.

12:00 p.m.
Kosgei and Tune ease past Goucher, who appears to be straining after pushing the pace for several miles.

11:59 a.m.
The three women are tightly bunched as they pass through Kenmore Square, to some of the loudest cheers of the day.

11:57 a.m.
As the women approach the bridge over the Mass Pike, Goucher charged straight past the fluid station, while Tune took a drink.

They just hit mile 25 in 2:26:02. A 5:20 last mile.

11:56 a.m.
Goucher and Tune continue to lead, with Kosgei following immediately behind them as they approach Kenmore Square and the one-mile to go mark.

11:55 a.m.
Now Bekele is losing contact, and we could be down to three runners.

11:53 a.m.
Kirop is now struggling, and the pack is down to Goucher, Tune, Kosgei, and Bekele (in that order).

11:53 a.m.
24 miles was passed in 2:20:42 -- a 5:13 mile split as the women have passed Coolidge Corner.

11:52 a.m.
Kosgei has remained on the tail end of this pack, so five women remain in contention. Goucher leads. Tune following close behind.

As we saw last year when Tune won a stirring spring down Boylston Street, she is comfortable waiting until late in the race. Of course Goucher has tremendous track speed -- having run a new indoor mile PR just a few months ago.

11:50 a.m.
Goucher led the pack through 23 miles in 2:15:29, with a 5:19 mile split. They are on pace for a 2:33 finish.

11:49 a.m.
Goucher, Tune, Bekele, Kirop: Those are the contenders as the women near Boston.

11:48 a.m.
Timbilili is now fading off the pace, as is Kosgei. Goucher surges again.

11:46 a.m.
Goucher, with Tune right on her shoulder, is aggressively pushing the pace through Brookline. Timbilili, Bekele, Kirop, and Kosgei remain in contact as well.

11:45 a.m.
The last mile was run in 5:21, and Grigoryeva now appears to have falled off the pace. Six women remain, with Goucher still pushing the pace.

11:44 a.m.
Goucher, Tune, Timbilili, Bekele, Kirop, Kosgei, and Grigoryeva: Those are the contenders as the field turns at Cleveland Circle in Brookline. Goucher leads.

11:42 a.m.
The lead continues to see-saw, and Goucher is again pushing the pace. Barely 20 minutes of racing remain and eight women are still in contention.

11:41 a.m.
The women have now passed 35K, in approximately 2:09.

11:40 a.m.
The women passed 21 miles in 2:04:48, having run a 5:51 split.

11:39 a.m.
As the women descend toward Boston, having crested the hills, Tune and Timbilili are shoulder-to-shoulder and are pushing the pace. De Reuck suddenly finds herself perhaps 100 meters behind.

11:38 a.m.
Tune, Goucher, Bekele, Timbilili, Grigoryeva, Kosgei, and Kirop pass Boston College together. They've put a gap on the rest of the women, and the pace appears to have picked up markedly.

11:37 a.m.
With Goucher leading, the women's pack -- intact since the gun -- finally appears to be stringing out. De Reuck appears to have fallen behind the pack, and just eight women remain in front.

11:32 a.m.
With about 30 minutes of racing remaining, Goucher is in the lead, with Tune on her heels, followed by Timbilili and Bekele.

11:35 a.m.
The women remain on pace for a mid-2:30's finish. As mentioned before, the last time the Boston title was claimed with a time slower than 2:30 was 1985.

11:32 a.m.
10 women remain in the lead pack at this point, lead by De Reuck and Goucher. They passed through 20 miles in 1:58:56, following a 6:03 mile.

11:32 a.m.
In a developing story, the men's leaders are quickly gaining on the lead women, who had a 28-minute head start.

11:31 a.m.
After fading briefly, De Reuck is once again pushing the pace, with Goucher following closely on her heels.

11:30 a.m.
Alice Timbilili is taking a turn at the front, as the pack is stretched across the width of the road.

11:28 a.m.
Goucher led the pack through 19 miles in 1:52:52, pushing the pace through an uphill 5:47 mile.

11:28 a.m.
30K was passed in 1:50:52. Alevtina Biktimirova led through 30K in 1:45:23 last year.

11:27 a.m.
After Grigoryeva took a brief lead, Goucher appears to be pushing the pace, back in the lead, as the women continue up the hills.

11:25 a.m.
Kara Goucher has now moved into the lead as the pack has passed De Reuck. Past champs Tune and Grigoryeva trail Goucher.

11:24 a.m.
As the women progress through the Newton Hills, De Reuck continues to lead, with a dwindling lead pack behind her. Their last mile split was 6:04 -- so we continue to wait for someone to make a definitive move in this race.

11:18 a.m.
De Reuck leads the women into the Newton hills, as the women have made the turn at the firehouse.

11:17 a.m.
Following the fastest mile of the race, the women's pack slowed to a 6:13 mile. They passed 17 miles in 1:41:00.

11:14 a.m.
Once again we have Americans in first and second, with Bekele following close behind in third.

11:14 a.m.
Early leader Colleen De Reuck has now moved from the back of the pack into the lead. Goucher is in 2nd.

11:12 a.m.
Kirop, Bekele, Tune in 1-2-3, leading a pack of about 11. Goucher is moving up to Tune's shoulder.

They passed 16 miles in 1:34:46, following the fastest mile of the race: 5:34. They are now on pace for a 2:33:50 finish.

11:08 a.m.
We have a new leader as Helena Kirop has eased past Bekele. The pack remains intact immediately behind them. We're still waiting for a big move to break up this group.

11:07 a.m.
25K was passed in 1:32:09, with Bekele still leading the way. Prokopcuka led through 25K in 1:28:36 last year.

11:06 a.m.
Bekele led the field through 15 miles in 1:29:12, following a 5:54 mile split.

11:04 a.m.
The last time the Boston Marathon's women's champ ran over 2:30 was in 1985 -- which is also the last time we saw an American champion here (Lisa Larsen Weidenbach, 2:34:06). Significantly, that was also the year prior to the introduction of prize money in Boston.

11:01 a.m.
The women passed through 14 miles in 1:23:17, on pace to run 2:35:10.

11:00 a.m.
Tune has settled back into the pack, and Bekele once again finds herself setting the pace -- with Goucher giving chase. The pack appears to be stringing out.

10:57 a.m.
Eflenesh Alemu is now leading the bunched pack. Despite her past success here -- 2nd in 2004 and 2005 -- Alemu hasn't run a marathon in nearly four years.

10:55 a.m.
Tune and Alemu are shoulder to shoulder, with everyone still waiting for someone to make a major move. Reports from the press truck suggest that the headwind is fairly strong.

10:53 a.m.
The lead pack appears to have 13 women still in it, including Tune, Elfenesh Alemu, Grigoryeva, Goucher, Bekele, Atsede Habtamu, Shuru Deriba, Helena Kirop, Alice Timbilili, Adanech Zekiros, and Colleen De Reuck.

10:51 a.m.
Tsuchida remains comfortably in front in the wheelchair race, on pace for a 1:51:00 finish.

10:49 a.m.
The women have reached the half marathon in Wellesley in approximately 1:18:07, with defending champ Dire Tune in front for the first time today. That compares to a 1:14:45 split in 2008. In her world record run in 1983, Joan Benoit blitzed through the first half in an astounding 1:08:22, then slowed in the second half, ultimately finishing in 2:22:43. Okayo, in 2002, passed through the half in 1:10:43, then managed to run a negative-split to finish in a new course record time of 2:20:43.

10:47 a.m.
The women are passing through the scream tunnel at Wellesley College, with Bekele, Tune and Goucher leading the way. We'll have a half marathon split momentarily.

10:45 a.m.
As the women near the half-way point in Wellesley, all of the major favorites appear to still be in the lead pack of approximately one dozen athletes. Bekele continues to push the pace.

10:43 a.m.
2007 Boston and 2008 Chicago champion Lidiya Grigoryeva has been a constant presence near the front of the pack, patiently sitting just off the shoulders of whoever has been leading. Tune and Goucher are likewise maintaining a strong position near the front -- but not taking the lead.

10:41 a.m.
The women passed 11 miles in 1:05:49, following a 6:01 mile split.

10:41 a.m.
Bekele is once again moving to the front. She has swung to the far side of the road, away frmo the pack, and appears to be surging.

10:39 a.m.
American Mary Akor has begun to assert herself in the front of the lead pack. Unlike the women around her, who are in singlets, Akor is wearing long sleeves and tights.

10:37 a.m.
A belated 10 mile split: 59:47.

10:36 a.m.
A weather report from the 16 mile mark on the course: 48 degrees, with a 6 mph NNW wind.

10:35 a.m.
One hour into the race, American women are in 1st-4th place, as Goucher and Mary Akor move into 3rd and 4th.

10:34 a.m.
Bekele has settled back into the pack, and once again Americans Elva Dryer and Colleen De Reuck find themselves leading the Boston Marathon.

10:32 a.m.
The women's lead pack -- now down to a dozen women -- are on 2:35 pace as they make their way through Natick.

10:30 a.m.
The leaders have passed through 15K in 55:40. Last year Nuta Olaru led the field at this point in 52:33. Okayo reached 15K in 50:24 during her course-record run. Joan Benoit is estimated to have passed 15K in 48:08 during her world record in 1983. Goucher, in her marathon debut at New York City last fall, passed through 15K in 52:44, en route to a third-place finish.

10:30 a.m.
Of the top contenders, Bezunesh Bekele has been the most aggressive thus far, as she has just led the field past the 15K checkpoint in approximately 55:40.

10:26 a.m.
Another masters contender -- Sultanova-Zhdanova -- has taken the lead, with Dryer and De Reuck following. There appear to be about 15 women in the lead pack at this point.

10:23 a.m.
De Reuck and Bekele lead, with Goucher, Grigoryeva and Tune all visible over their shoulders.

10:22 a.m.
The leaders passed through 8 miles in 47:47, with De Reuck back in front. The last mile was run in 5:55.

10:18 a.m.
For the first time, some of the favorites have seized the pace, with Bezunesh Bekele and Salina Kosgei in front, pushing the pace and stringing the pack out a bit. Goucher, Dryer and Grigoryeva trail them.

10:14 a.m.
The women's current pace translates to a 2:36 marathon.

10:12 a.m.
The women passed through 10K in 37:05. The leaders passed this point in 34:50 last year. Margaret Okayo's split, during her course record run of 2002, was 33:43. Sun Yingjie has the fastest split through 10K in Boston history: 32:31 in 1999, though Joan Benoit is estimated to have passed 10K in 32:00 during her world record run of 1983.

After getting fluids, the lead pack is spread across the width of the road. There appear to be about 20 women in the lead pack still.

10:10 a.m.
In addition to the glory of a Boston victory—and the accompanying paycheck—there are also World Marathon Majors Series points on the line today. Boston launches the second half of the 2008-2009 Series, and several women in the field are looking to add to their point totals. 25 points go to the winner, then the next four finishers will get 15, 10, 5, and 1 point respectively. Dire Tune and Lidiya Grigoryeva each have 25 points, and a win by either would put her in a tie for first place with Germany's Irina Mikitenko. The WMM Series will conclude in New York City in November. Other athletes in today's field who are already on the leaderboard are Kara Goucher (10 points), Helena Kirop (10 points), and Salina Kosgei (5 points).

10:07 a.m.
Dryer, De Reuck, and Goucher are still leading the pack -- a strong early showing by the Americans.

American's haven't fared too well in recent years in Boston. Only two U.S. women have cracked the top 10 in the past 11 years: Marla Runyan in 2003 and Deena Kastor in 2007, both of whom placed fifth. Kim Jones was the last woman to crack the top four, placing second in both 1991 and 1993.

10:03 a.m.
Thus far, the women are on pace to run around 2:40:00, though their pace has been gradually picking up. The women's course record here in Boston is 2:20:43, run by Margaret Okayo in 2002. The next four fastest time in Boston history are: 2:21:12 (Catherine Ndereba, 2002), 2:21:45 (Uta Pippig, 1994), 2:22:43 (Joan Benoit, 1983), and 2:23:21 (Fatuma Roba, 1998). The fastest time recorded by an American at Boston is Benoits 2:22:43, followed by Kim Jones' 2:26:40 in 1991.

9:54 a.m.
5:45 for the fourth mile, with Dryer and De Reuck continuing to set the pace. Each mile thus far has been faster than the previous split, yet nobody has made an aggressive move yet.

9:59 a.m.
Wakako Tsuchida has built an early lead of 40 seconds in the women's wheelchair race.

9:56 a.m.
Leading the pack at 5K were Americans Dryer and De Reuck, defending masters champ Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova, Tomoe Yokoyama, Mary Akor, Elfenesh Alemu, followed by Dire Tune, Kara Goucher, and Lidiya Grigoyeva.

9:54 a.m.
The pace has been gradually picking up, with the last mile passed in 5:52. The pack is spread across the width of the road, with no discernible leader.

9:52 a.m.
The lead pack passed through 5K in approximately 19:00. By comparison, Jelena Prokopcuka led last year's race through 5K in 17:09, while Margaret Okayo passed 5K in 17:03 during her 2002 course-record run. The official 5K checkpoint record in Boston is Sun Yingjie's 15:59 in 1999, though Joan Benoit is estimated to have passed this point in 15:49 en route to her 2:22:43 world record in 1983.

9:51 a.m.
These women are racing for $353,000 in prize money, out of a total prize purse of $806,000. The $150,000 winner's check is one of the largest in the sport, and should Tune defend her title, that check would vault her into fourth on Boston's all-time prize money list, behind legends Robert K. Cheruiyot, Catherine Ndereba, and Uta Pippig. An additional $25,000 would be awarded in the event that Margaret Okayo's 2:20:43 course record is broken.

9:49 a.m.
Many of the women today are wearing removable arm warmers. Reports from the course suggest perfect temperatures, with a slight headwind.

9:49 a.m.
After Goucher and Dryer, there's a deep U.S. presence in this year's field. A number of qualifiers for last year's Olympic Trials will be running, including Elva Dryer, Kasie Enman, Veena Reddy, Sheri Piers, Mary Akor, Abby Dean, Phebe Ko, Allison Kerr, and Heidi Schuette. That is in addition to our current leader: Colleen De Reuck. De Reuck has a long history in Boston, placing ninth here 15 years ago, when she was still running for her native South Africa. She then went on to place third (1997), fifth (1998), and fourth (1999) in her three other Boston attempts. She turned 45 last week.

9:47 a.m.
American Elva Dryer has joined De Reuck in the front of what is still a large and tightly-bunched lead pack. Goucher is just behind them.

9:46 a.m.
De Reuck continues to lead through two miles, with the last mile run in 6:02. As mentioned, De Reuck is one of the top contenders in the masters division today.

Challenging her for the Masters title will be Firaya Sultanova-Zhdanova, the defending champ in the division. Sultanova-Zhdanova is a three-time Masters champ in Boston, and has placed as high as fifth in the open women's division, in 2002.

9:44 a.m.
Here is a rundown of today's top contenders:

Defending champion Dire Tune tops most lists of favorites to win today. Though she was not well known prior to her thrilling victory on Boylston Street 12 months ago, Tune has since proven that she belongs in the top echelon. Just two months ago she ran a new Ethiopian National Record for the half marathon, running 1:07:18. Still just 23 years old, Tune may have yet another surprise for the fans in Boston.

Grigoryeva, 12 years Tune's senior, struggled in defense of her 2007 Boston crown, running 2:35:37 last year to place ninth. But she then rebounded to win the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, in a time of 2:27:17.

Bezunesh Bekele is one of the most intriguing newcomers this year. Just 26 years old, she already boasts two sub-2:25 performances, including the fastest PR in the field today (2:23:09). Last fall, in her first World Marathon Majors appearance, Bekele placed seventh in Chicago. She then won the Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon this past January. Bekele held the Ethiopian National Record for the half marathon (1:08:07), which was recently broken by Dire Tune. Bekele is coached by the husband of marathon great Gete Wami.

Shuru Deriba, one of the youngest athletes in the elite field this year (23 years old), trains in Ethiopia with Bezunesh Bekele. Though she's only been running for three years, she already boasts a PR of 2:28:26, and placed sixth in last year's real,-Berlin Marathon.

Kara Goucher may be running just her second marathon today, but she's already shown a knack for the longer distances. She won bronze at the 2007 World Championships at 10,000m, and owns a half marathon PR of 1:06:57. Last fall she set a new U.S. debut marathon record when she ran 2:25:53 to place third in New York City. Goucher arrives in Boston with the pressure to become the first American champion here since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach in 1985. Goucher's coach knows a few things about winning in Boston, however: Alberto Salazar won one of the most famous races in Boston history, in 1982. Goucher has been racing more frequently than many of her rivals today, setting new mile and 3,000m bests in indoor track over the winter, and then winning the Lisbon Half Marathon on March 22 in 1:08:30.

As Dire Tune proved last year, rookies can win in Boston. Atsede Habtamu will be looking to repeat that feat. The 21-year-old Ethiopian made her marathon debut just three months ago, placing second to Bezunesh Bekele in Dubai, with an impressive time of 2:25:17. Previously a half marathon specialist, she has a PR of 1:08:29—which set a world under-20 record, and was good for fifth place in the 2007 world championships.

Helen Kirop comes to Boston for the first time after two consecutive third-place finishes in Berlin. The Kenyan ran a PR there last fall, finishing in 2:25:01—after passing through the half marathon with the leaders, in a blistering 1:09:37.

Salina Kosgei holds the second-fastest PR in today's field, at 2:23:22. For the past three springs she has run the Flora London Marathon, twice placing fourth there. Last summer she placed 10th in the Olympic Games Marathon. In recent racing, Kosgei ran 1:09:06 to place seventh in the Lisbon Half Marathon (a race won by Dire Tune).

A two-time Olymipan and silver medalist at the World Cross Country Championship, Alice Timbilili made the transition to marathoning last year, when she raced in Paris and Honolulu. Her PR came in Paris, where she ran 2:26:45. She placed second to Goucher at the Lisbon Half Marathon one month ago, finishing in 1:09:00.

9:41 a.m.
Kara Goucher is staying near the front of the pack, sitting in about fourth place as the women are 10 minute in. None of the pre-race favorites have taken a turn in front to this point.

9:40 a.m.
De Reuck remains in the lead, pulling a very tentative pack through one mile in 6:28.

9:35 a.m.
In the early minutes of the race, nobody is eager to take the lead. Visible at the front of the pack is American Colleen De Reuck, a top contender in the masters division today. The top contenders seem to be staying in the middle of a large lead pack.

9:32 a.m.
The race is off! 1989 Boston Marathon champion Ingrid Kristiansen fired the gun to start the elite women's race.

9:28 a.m.
The elite women are out on the street in Hopkinton, doing their strides. As anyone watching on television can see, the elite athletes will be wearing something new this year: For the first time in Boston, the elite bibs feature the last names rather than numbers -- a move that should help fans both out on the course and watching on television as they look for their favorite athletes in the lead pack.

9:22 a.m.
The wheelchair race has begun -- just 10 minutes until the start of the Elite Women's Start at the 113th Boston Marathon.

The wheelchair field is racing for a total prize purse of $60,000 today, with $15,000 going to the men's and women's champions.

9:10 a.m.
We are about 12 minutes from the start of the wheelchair race. Headlining the field once again is Japan's Wakako Tsuchida, the two-time defending champion. She won here last year with a time of 1:48:32. The Elite Women's Start will follow, at 9:32 a.m.

9 a.m.
Good morning from the press room at the 113th Boston Marathon. We'll be bringing you a steady stream of reports this morning as the women's elite field makes its way from Hopkinton to Boston. Among the favorites are 2008 champion Dire Tune, back to defend her title, 2007 champ Lidiya Grigoryeva, looking to reclaim the crown, and American Kara Goucher, hoping to emerge from a talented field as the first American champion in Boston since 1985.

Conditions seem ideal this morning, with the temperature approaching 40 degrees in Hopkinton. There is a light breeze from the east. Last year, the temperature was a steady 53 degrees and winds were light. 2007, of course, featured heavy rains and 20-30 mph winds, with temperatures in the high 40s.

There are plenty of intriguing storylines to follow today. Will Tune of Ethiopia successfully defend her Boston Marathon title today, or might we see a fifth different champion in as many years? Tune and 2007 winner Lidiya Grigoryeva are the two past champions in the field, and they will be surrounded by a talented cast of challengers.

Last year Tune held off Alevtina Bigtimirova in the closest women's finish in Boston history, winning by just two seconds, in 2:25:25. The only other top-10 finisher from last year who is back is Grigoryeva, who placed ninth. Two changes to the elite athlete field that was announced earlier this spring: Galina Bogomolova has pulled out, while Elfenesh Alemu—three times a top-3 finisher here—was a late addition.

The 113th Boston Marathon start times are as follows:

9:22 a.m. Wheelchair Division Start
9:32 a.m. Elite Women's Start
10:00 a.m. Elite Men & Wave 1 Start
10:30 a.m. Wave 2 Start

Marc Chalufour will provide continuous live coverage of the Women's Race beginning at 9:00 a.m.

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Men's Race Day Commentary

12:15pm For his victory, Merga earns $150,000. This is his second marathon win this year. In January, he also prevailed in Houston, taking that race in a course record of 2:07:52.

12:12pm Merga's official time is 2:08:42.

12:10pm Merga wins the 113th Boston Marathon in an unofficial 2:08:41. Rono is second in an unofficial 2:09:32, with Hall third in an unofficial 2:09:40.

12:08pm Merga can see the finish line. Rono is in second with Hall in third and working hard to close the gap as they come down Boylston St.

12:06pm At 25 miles, Merga's split is 2:02:10 (4:55). At 25.2, with 1 mile to go, his split is 2:03:17, with his win, evidently, in the bag.

12:02pm Although Merga placed fourth in the Olympic Marathon last year, he was in third position when he entered the stadium.

11:59am At 24 miles, Merga is adding to his lead with every stride. His split is 1:57:15 (4:41). His closest competitor is over 50 seconds in arrears.

11:56am At 23 miles, the order is Merga, Rono, then Hall and Kebede side by side.

11:54am Merga is forging ahead. The 23 mile split is 1:52:34 (4:55).

11:50am The 22 miles split was 1:47:38 (4.51.

11:49am At 22 miles, close to Cleveland Circle, Merga holds a commanding lead. Approximately 30 seconds in arrears, Hall and Rono are side by side.

11:47am Hall has moved into second place, though still close to 30 seconds back.

11:45am Merga's split between 20 and 21 was 5:10, an uphill mile. He passed 21 in 1:42:48.

11:42am Merga looks very strong as he reaches the top of Heartbreak Hill. Wind on the course has increased to 17mph.

11:40am 20 miles is passed in 1:37:37 (4:56) by Merga. Rono is 12 seconds back, with Hall in third, a further 25 to 30 seconds in arrears.

11:38am Merga is increasing his lead with every stride. At 19, the split is 1:32:42 (4:46). Rono is holding second, but Molla is dropping like a stone. Hall is into third, but still some way back. The defending Robert Cheruyiot has fallen from sight.

11:36am At 30K, Merga holds the lead at 1:30:59 with Rono one second back. after that the order is Molla, Hall (24 secobnds down on the leader), Kebede, Evans Cheruiyot, the non-defending Robert Cheruiyot, Asfaw and Kiogora.

11:32am Rono was third in New York last year, but Merga is pushing the pace hard. Hall is in 5th, 18 seconds back.

11:28am At 17 miles, in the Newton Hills, the split is 1:22:59.

At 18 miles (1:27:56/4:55), Merga is the aggressor. Rono is holding tight, but Molla is falling off. Hall is working back into the race in 6th place, 15 seconds back.

11:24am At 16 miles (1:18:11/4.47) Kiogora and Cherigat are in the lead. Shortly thereafter, Merga and Molla surge into a big lead that breaks the pack apart. Only Rono goes with them. The rest of the field is stretched out behind and losing ground, with Hall back in 9th.

11:18am At 15 miles, the split is 1:13:25 (5:03). Kiogora has injected a big surge and opened 15m or so on the pack. Only Timothy Cherigat, the winner here in 2004, has made an attempt to cover.

11:12am At 14 miles, the time is 1:08:21 (5:18). Kiogora injects a slight surge, but the pack quickly congeals again.

11:10am The fastest Boston half way split in history is the 62:01 of Juma Ikangaa in 1990.

11:09am The men's field has passed 13 miles in 1:03:03 (4:56) and half way in 1:03:38. The defending champion Cheruiyot is at the front of the pack, but is examining something on his upper leg or his shorts. Hall is in mid-pack. The roster is three Cheruiyots, Hall, Merga, Kiogora, Cherigat, Molla, Rono, Kosgei and Kebede.

11:02am Ernst Van Dyk has won the men's wheelchair division for the eighth time. Only Jean Driscoll among the women can point to a comparable number of Boston wins.

11am At mile 12, the split is 58:07 (4:51), another surge in pace.

10:58am Gashaw Asfaw appears to be content to be the foremost aggressor, fronting the field as it heads towards 11 miles. He placed seventh in the Beijing Olympic Games marathon last year and has a PR of 2:08:03 from Paris in 2006.

At 11 miles, the pace has slowed a little, a time of 53:16 meaning a 5:10 mile split. There is no indication of who may be feeling the pace. They are now on a projected finishing pace in the mid 2:06s.

10:50am 10 miles is passed in 48:06 (4:56). In the pack are Asfaw, Merga, Hall, Koskei, Cherigat, Molla, Kiogora and all three Cheruiyots. The defending Robert Cheruiyot is expending a lot of energy looking around, checking on who is doing what, where.

10:46 At 9 miles, the split is 43:09 (4:55), a projected finish pace of mid-2:05. Hall, Asfaw and Cheruiyot are most prominent at the front of the group, but no major developments at this point.

10.43am Conditions on the course are still excellent with temperatures at 48 degrees and winds from the NNW at 6mph.

10:40am At 8 miles, the split is 38:14 (4:54). As the group overtakes the legendary Hoyts, Rick and Dick, Hall offers them a word of encouragement.

10.38 At 10K, the split is 29:28. At 7 miles, it is 31:19 (4:53). Hall has discarded his arm warmers. There are 13 men in the pack, with no one in sight behind them. In the group are Hall, Kiogora, Merga, Kebede, Molla, Koskei, Asfaw, Cherigat and two Robert Cheruiyots.

10:33am The men are currently operating on a projected finish pace of 2:04:06. The current Boston course record stands at 2:07:14 to Robert Cheruiyot from 2006.

10.31am At 6 miles in the men's race, the leaders are still as they were, though spread across the road. Hall holds the lead on one side, with Cheruiyot the defender on the other. The split is 28:26 (4:49).

10.28am Checking back in with the men's wheelchair race - at 18 miles, Ernst Van Dyk still holds the lead with a split of 62:45. The signs are good that he will secure his eighth Boston victory.

10.25 At 5 miles, the split is 23:36 (4:48), with Hall still at the forefront and everybody else very happy to let him do all the work.

10.22am At 5K, the split was 14:33 with Asfaw still in the lead. At four miles, the time was 18:49 (4.44), but with Hall back in the lead and looking aggressive. On his heels are Asfaw, the defending Robert Cheruiyot, Tekeste Kebede (ETH), Merga, the other Robert Cheruyiot, Solomon Molla (ETH), Daniel Rono, James Kosgei (KEN) and Stephen Kiagora.

10.18 Just after three miles, Hall eased off on the gas, allowing Asfaw to move to the forefront. Near 3.5 miles, Asfaw still held the lead, but what had been a string of contenders has become a knot with Hall and the defending Cheruiyot right in the midst.

10.15am The three mile split was 14:35, with no change in the order.

10.12am At two miles, the split was 9:20 (4:42), Hall still holding the lead and prepared to do all the work as Asfaw, the Cheruiyots, Merga, Ben Maiyo, Daniel Rono and a bunch of others all sit in behind.

10.10am Hall has been training at altitude in Mammoth Lakes, CA and has been running his tempo runs over a course designed to replicate the Boston terrain.

10.06am Hall passed the mile mark in 4.38, still holding a two stride lead on Asfaw.

10.05am Hall is extremely aggressive. Immediately behind him is Asfaw, with the defending champion Cheruiyot fronting a knot of the remaining contenders.

10am The men's race has begun at the 113th Boston Marathon. In near perfect conditions, the knot of men's leaders has charged away from the starting line. A large group from the Brooks Hanson's project, including Brian Sell, is visible. But startlingly, Ryan Hall has bolted straight to the front of the field and, with barely 800m completed, has opened a couple of strides lead on a string of contenders.

9:42am As the men's field begins to assemble in Hopkinton, the wheelchair races are underway. South Africa's Ernst Van Dyk has surged to an early lead in the men's race, attempting to secure an unprecedented eighth Boston Marathon title.

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Welcome to the 113th running of the Boston Marathon. More than 25,000 runners are assembling in Hopkinton, getting ready for the start of the world's oldest annual marathon. Temperatures are in the mid-40s, with slight winds from the east, indicating that, by race time, conditions may be perfect for some fast running. Dr Dave Martin just commented that conditions are "perfect."

The elite men's race begins at 10am and, with a $150,000 first place prize on the line ($353,000 in total men's money; $806,000 in total race money), the competition is certain to be intense. Greatest attention is focused on course record-holder and three-time defending champion Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, who is attempting to become the first man in history to win this race four consecutive times. Were he to be successful, it would be his fifth overall Boston win, having preceeded his 2006, 2007 and 2008 wins with his first victory in 2003.

Making things hot - not to mention confusing - at the front of the field will be Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, who ran a course record PR of 2:07:21 in Frankfurt last year, and Evans Cheruiyot, last year's winner in Chicago. The latter Cheruiyot has also run a 59:05 half marathon in taking third place in the 2007 World Half Marathon Championships, and word on the streets of Boston is that he may be the man to deny his namesake this year.

Inevitable excitement and expectation center on Ryan Hall (PB of 2:06:17 from London last year) who represents the first strong US contender to take this title in many a long year. The last American to win in Boston was Greg Meyer back in 1983; but, Hall is as real a threat to depose Cheruiyot as anyone in the field. Hall has commented, "To win at Boston would show the world that American distance running is back to the days of Alberto Salazar, Dick Beardsley and Bill Rodgers."

Ethiopians Deriba Merga (fourth at the Beijing Olympic Games, PB of 2:06:38) and Gashaw Asfaw (fourth here last year, seventh in Beijing) will certainly be there in the early going, while Kenya's Daniel Rono (PB of 2:06:58, third in NY last year) is not to be discounted.

Those are just a handful of the contenders, though: with less than one hour to go to the start of the elite men's race, the only thing certain is that the 113th Boston men's race is wide open.

The 113th Boston Marathon start times are as follows:

9:22 a.m. Wheelchair Division Start
9:32 a.m. Elite Women's Start
10:00 a.m. Elite Men & Wave 1 Start
10:30 a.m. Wave 2 Start

Jim O'Brien will provide continuous live coverage of the Men's Race beginning at 9:00 a.m.

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