This page lists the winners of the Boston Marathon, which has been running continuously since 1897 and is the oldest annual marathon in the world. The first race, run in 1897, included only 15 runners, all of whom were men. Women were only officially allowed to run the race beginning in 1972, though female runners had unofficially participated beginning in 1966 despite the opposition of the Boston Athletic Association, the race sponsor. The Boston Marathon became the first major marathon to include a wheelchair division in 1975 for men, and added a wheelchair division for women in 1977.
Many marathon champions have repeated their feats in following years. The record for most repeated championships stands at 9, held by Ernst van Dyk in the Men's Wheelchair division. In the Men's Open division, Clarence DeMar holds the distinction of most wins with 7, and Catherine Ndereba tops the Women's Open division with 4. The United States has had more winners than any other country, followed by Kenya and Canada. The United States and Canada dominated the early years of the race, and it wasn't until the 36th race in 1932 that someone from outside North America, Paul de Bruyn of Germany, won the race. There has been much more national diversity among Boston Marathon champions in recent decades, with Kenya the most dominant nationality, especially in the Men's Open division.
The 42.195 km (26.2 miles) length of the marathon was not fixed before the 1924 Paris Olympics, and the Boston course varied as well. Prior to 1924 the course distance was approximately 24.5 miles. Even after the standardization of marathon lengths, the Boston course was off by nearly 200 yards from the correct distance until the mistake was discovered and corrected in 1927. The course grew gradually shorter in the 1950s as road re-construction straightened curves. This time, upon remeasurement the course was found to lack nearly 1200 yards, and was corrected beginning with the 1957 race. Due to these changes, the marathon recognizes several course records which are slower than previous records due to being run on longer courses. 26 world records have been set on the Boston Marathon course, 1 in the Men's Open Division, 2 in the Women's Open, 13 in the Men's Wheelchair, and 10 in the Women's Wheelchair.
Contents |
Year | Athlete | Country/State | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1897 | John J. McDermott | ![]() |
2:55:10 | course record |
1898 | Ronald J. MacDonald | Canada | 2:42:00 | course record |
1899 | Lawrence Brignolia | ![]() |
2:54:38 | |
1900 | John Caffery | Canada | 2:39:44 | course record |
1901 | John Caffery | Canada | 2:29:23 | 2nd victory, course record |
1902 | Sammy Mellor | ![]() |
2:43:12 | |
1903 | John Lorden | ![]() |
2:41:29 | |
1904 | Michael Spring | ![]() |
2:38:04 | |
1905 | Frederick Lorz | ![]() |
2:38:25 | |
1906 | Tim Ford | ![]() |
2:45:45 | |
1907 | Thomas Longboat | Canada | 2:24:24 | course record |
1908 | Thomas Morrissey | ![]() |
2:25:43 | |
1909 | Henri Renaud | ![]() |
2:53:36 | |
1910 | Fred Cameron | Canada | 2:28:52 | |
1911 | Clarence DeMar | ![]() |
2:21:39 | course record |
1912 | Michael J. Ryan | ![]() |
2:21:18 | course record |
1913 | Fritz Carlson | ![]() |
2:25:14 | |
1914 | James Duffy | Canada | 2:25:14 | |
1915 | Édouard Fabre | Canada | 2:31:41 | |
1916 | Arthur Roth | ![]() |
2:27:16 | |
1917 | Bill Kennedy | ![]() |
2:28:37 | |
1918 | Military Relay[1] | ![]() |
2:29:53 | |
1919 | Carl Linder | ![]() |
2:29:13 | |
1920 | Peter Trivoulides | ![]() |
2:29:31 | |
1921 | Frank Zuna | ![]() |
2:18:57 | course record |
1922 | Clarence DeMar | ![]() |
2:18:10 | 2nd victory, course record |
1923 | Clarence DeMar | ![]() |
2:23:47 | 3rd victory |
1924 | Clarence DeMar | ![]() |
2:29:40 | 4th victory |
1925 | Charles Mellor | ![]() |
2:33:00 | |
1926 | Johnny Miles | ![]() |
2:25:40 | course record |
1927 | Clarence DeMar | ![]() |
2:40:22 | 5th victory, course record |
1928 | Clarence DeMar | ![]() |
2:37:07 | 6th victory, course record |
1929 | Johnny Miles | ![]() |
2:33:08 | 2nd victory, course record |
1930 | Clarence DeMar | ![]() |
2:34:48 | 7th victory |
1931 | James P. Henigan | ![]() |
2:46:45 | |
1932 | Paul de Bruyn | ![]() |
2:33:36 | |
1933 | Leslie S. Pawson | ![]() |
2:31:01 | course record |
1934 | Dave Komonen | ![]() |
2:32:53 | |
1935 | John A. Kelley | ![]() |
2:32:07 | |
1936 | Ellison Brown | ![]() |
2:33:40 | |
1937 | Walter Young | ![]() |
2:33:20 | |
1938 | Leslie S. Pawson | ![]() |
2:35:34 | 2nd victory |
1939 | Ellison Brown | ![]() |
2:28:51 | 2nd victory, course record |
1940 | Gérard Côté | ![]() |
2:28:28 | course record |
1941 | Leslie S. Pawson | ![]() |
2:30:38 | 3rd victory |
1942 | Joe Smith | ![]() |
2:26:51 | course record |
1943 | Gérard Côté | ![]() |
2:28:25 | 2nd victory |
1944 | Gérard Côté | ![]() |
2:31:50 | 3rd victory |
1945 | John A. Kelley | ![]() |
2:30:40 | 2nd victory |
1946 | Stylianos Kyriakides | ![]() |
2:29:27 | |
1947 | Suh Yun-Bok | ![]() |
2:25:39 | world record, course record |
1948 | Gérard Côté | ![]() |
2:31:02 | 4th victory |
1949 | Karl Leandersson | ![]() |
2:31:50 | |
1950 | Ham Kee-Yong | ![]() |
2:32:39 | |
1951 | Shigeki Tanaka | ![]() |
2:27:45 | |
1952 | Doroteo Flores | ![]() |
2:31:53 | |
1953 | Keizo Yamada | ![]() |
2:18:51 | course record |
1954 | Veikko Karvonen | ![]() |
2:20:39 | |
1955 | Hideo Hamamura | ![]() |
2:18:22 | course record |
1956 | Antti Viskari | ![]() |
2:14:14 | course record |
1957 | John J. Kelley | ![]() |
2:20:05 | course record (new course) |
1958 | Franjo Mihalić | ![]() |
2:25:54 | |
1959 | Eino Oksanen | ![]() |
2:22:42 | |
1960 | Paavo Kotila | ![]() |
2:20:54 | |
1961 | Eino Oksanen | ![]() |
2:23:39 | 2nd victory |
1962 | Eino Oksanen | ![]() |
2:23:48 | 3rd victory |
1963 | Aurèle Vandendriessche | ![]() |
2:18:58 | course record |
1964 | Aurèle Vandendriessche | ![]() |
2:19:59 | 2nd victory |
1965 | Morio Shigematsu | ![]() |
2:16:33 | course record |
1966 | Kenji Kimihara | ![]() |
2:17:11 | |
1967 | David McKenzie | ![]() |
2:15:45 | course record |
1968 | Amby Burfoot | ![]() |
2:22:17 | |
1969 | Yoshiaki Unetani | ![]() |
2:13:49 | course record |
1970 | Ron Hill | ![]() |
2:10:30 | course record |
1971 | Álvaro Mejía | ![]() |
2:18:45 | |
1972 | Olavi Suomalainen | ![]() |
2:15:39 | |
1973 | Jon Anderson | ![]() |
2:16:03 | |
1974 | Neil Cusack | ![]() |
2:13:39 | |
1975 | Bill Rodgers | ![]() |
2:09:55 | course record |
1976 | Jack Fultz | ![]() |
2:20:19 | |
1977 | Jerome Drayton | ![]() |
2:14:46 | |
1978 | Bill Rodgers | ![]() |
2:10:13 | 2nd victory |
1979 | Bill Rodgers | ![]() |
2:09:27 | 3rd victory, course record |
1980 | Bill Rodgers | ![]() |
2:12:11 | 4th victory |
1981 | Toshihiko Seko | ![]() |
2:09:26 | course record |
1982 | Alberto Salazar | ![]() |
2:08:52 | course record |
1983 | Greg Meyer | ![]() |
2:09:00 | |
1984 | Geoff Smith | ![]() |
2:10:34 | |
1985 | Geoff Smith | ![]() |
2:14:05 | 2nd victory |
1986 | Robert de Castella | ![]() |
2:07:51 | course record |
1987 | Toshihiko Seko | ![]() |
2:11:50 | 2nd victory |
1988 | Ibrahim Hussein | ![]() |
2:08:43 | |
1989 | Abebe Mekonnen | ![]() |
2:09:06 | |
1990 | Gelindo Bordin | ![]() |
2:08:19 | |
1991 | Ibrahim Hussein | ![]() |
2:11:06 | 2nd victory |
1992 | Ibrahim Hussein | ![]() |
2:08:14 | 3rd victory |
1993 | Cosmas Ndeti | ![]() |
2:09:33 | |
1994 | Cosmas Ndeti | ![]() |
2:07:15 | 2nd victory, course record |
1995 | Cosmas Ndeti | ![]() |
2:09:22 | 3rd victory |
1996 | Moses Tanui | ![]() |
2:09:15 | |
1997 | Lameck Aguta | ![]() |
2:10:34 | |
1998 | Moses Tanui | ![]() |
2:07:34 | 2nd victory |
1999 | Joseph Chebet | ![]() |
2:09:52 | |
2000 | Elijah Lagat | ![]() |
2:09:47 | |
2001 | Lee Bong-Ju | ![]() |
2:09:43 | |
2002 | Rodgers Rop | ![]() |
2:09:02 | |
2003 | Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot | ![]() |
2:10:11 | |
2004 | Timothy Cherigat | ![]() |
2:10:37 | |
2005 | Hailu Negussie | ![]() |
2:11:44 | |
2006 | Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot | ![]() |
2:07:14 | 2nd victory, course record |
2007 | Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot | ![]() |
2:14:13 | 3rd victory |
2008 | Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot | ![]() |
2:07:45 | 4th victory |
2009 | Deriba Merga | ![]() |
2:08:42 | |
2010 | Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot | ![]() |
2:05:52 | course record |
Year | Athlete | Country/State | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1966 | Bobbi Gibb | ![]() |
3:21:40 | course record [2] |
1967 | Bobbi Gibb | ![]() |
3:27:17 | 2nd victory [2] |
1968 | Bobbi Gibb | ![]() |
3:30:00 | 3rd victory [2] |
1969 | Sara Mae Berman | ![]() |
3:22:46 | [2] |
1970 | Sara Mae Berman | ![]() |
3:05:07 | 2nd victory, course record [2] |
1971 | Sara Mae Berman | ![]() |
3:08:30 | 3rd victory [2] |
1972 | Nina Kuscsik | ![]() |
3:10:26 | |
1973 | Jacqueline Hansen | ![]() |
3:05:59 | |
1974 | Miki Gorman | ![]() |
2:47:11 | course record |
1975 | Liane Winter | ![]() |
2:42:24 | world record, course record |
1976 | Kim Merritt | ![]() |
2:47:10 | |
1977 | Miki Gorman | ![]() |
2:48:33 | 2nd victory |
1978 | Gayle S. Barron | ![]() |
2:44:52 | |
1979 | Joan Benoit | ![]() |
2:35:15 | course record |
1980 | Jacqueline Gareau | ![]() |
2:34:28 | course record [3] |
1981 | Allison Roe | ![]() |
2:26:46 | course record |
1982 | Charlotte Teske | ![]() |
2:29:33 | |
1983 | Joan Benoit | ![]() |
2:22:43 | 2nd victory, world record, course record |
1984 | Lorraine Moller | ![]() |
2:29.28 | |
1985 | Lisa Larsen Weidenbach | ![]() |
2:34.06 | |
1986 | Ingrid Kristiansen | ![]() |
2:24:55 | |
1987 | Rosa Mota | ![]() |
2:25:21 | |
1988 | Rosa Mota | ![]() |
2:24:30 | 2nd victory |
1989 | Ingrid Kristiansen | ![]() |
2:24:33 | 2nd victory |
1990 | Rosa Mota | ![]() |
2:25:24 | 3rd victory |
1991 | Wanda Panfil | ![]() |
2:24:18 | |
1992 | Olga Markova | ![]() |
2:23:43 | |
1993 | Olga Markova | ![]() |
2:25:27 | 2nd victory |
1994 | Uta Pippig | ![]() |
2:21:45 | course record |
1995 | Uta Pippig | ![]() |
2:25:11 | 2nd victory |
1996 | Uta Pippig | ![]() |
2:27:12 | 3rd victory |
1997 | Fatuma Roba | ![]() |
2:26:23 | |
1998 | Fatuma Roba | ![]() |
2:23:21 | 2nd victory |
1999 | Fatuma Roba | ![]() |
2:23:25 | 3rd victory |
2000 | Catherine Ndereba | ![]() |
2:26:11 | |
2001 | Catherine Ndereba | ![]() |
2:23:53 | 2nd victory |
2002 | Margaret Okayo | ![]() |
2:20:43 | course record |
2003 | Svetlana Zakharova | ![]() |
2:25:19 | |
2004 | Catherine Ndereba | ![]() |
2:24:27 | 3rd victory |
2005 | Catherine Ndereba | ![]() |
2:25:12 | 4th victory |
2006 | Rita Jeptoo | ![]() |
2:23:38 | |
2007 | Lidiya Grigoryeva | ![]() |
2:29:18 | |
2008 | Dire Tune | ![]() |
2:25:21 | 2 seconds ahead of 2nd place finisher |
2009 | Salina Kosgei | ![]() |
2:32:16 | 1 second ahead of 2nd place finisher |
2010 | Teyba Erkesso | ![]() |
2:26:11 |
Year | Athlete | Country/State | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1975 | Robert Hall | ![]() |
2:58:00 | course record |
1976 | none | |||
1977 | Robert Hall | ![]() |
2:40:10 | 2nd victory, world record, course record |
1978 | George Murray | ![]() |
2:26:57 | course record |
1979 | Ken Archer | ![]() |
2:38:59 | |
1980 | Curt Brinkman | ![]() |
1:55:00 | world record, course record |
1981 | Jim Martinson | ![]() |
2:00:41 | |
1982 | Jim Knaub | ![]() |
1:51:31 | world record, course record |
1983 | Jim Knaub | ![]() |
1:47:10 | 2nd victory, world record, course record |
1984 | André Viger | ![]() |
2:05:20 | |
1985 | George Murray | ![]() |
1:45:34 | 2nd victory, world record, course record |
1986 | André Viger | ![]() |
1:43:25 | 2nd victory, world record, course record |
1987 | André Viger | ![]() |
1:55:42 | 3rd victory |
1988 | Mustapha Badid | ![]() |
1:43:19 | world record, course record |
1989 | Philippe Couprie | ![]() |
1:36:04 | world record, course record |
1990 | Mustapha Badid | ![]() |
1:29:53 | 2nd victory, world record, course record |
1991 | Jim Knaub | ![]() |
1:30:44 | 3rd victory |
1992 | Jim Knaub | ![]() |
1:26:28 | 4th victory, world record, course record |
1993 | Jim Knaub | ![]() |
1:22:17 | 5th victory, world record, course record |
1994 | Heinz Frei | ![]() |
1:21:23 | world record, course record |
1995 | Franz Nietlispach | ![]() |
1:25:59 | |
1996 | Heinz Frei | ![]() |
1:30:14 | 2nd victory |
1997 | Franz Nietlispach | ![]() |
1:28:14 | 2nd victory |
1998 | Franz Nietlispach | ![]() |
1:21:52 | 3rd victory |
1999 | Franz Nietlispach | ![]() |
1:21:36 | 4th victory |
2000 | Franz Nietlispach | ![]() |
1:33:32 | 5th victory |
2001 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:25:12 | |
2002 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:23:19 | 2nd victory |
2003 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:28:32 | 3rd victory |
2004 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:18:27 | 4th victory, world record, course record |
2005 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:24:11 | 5th victory |
2006 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:25:29 | 6th victory |
2007 | Masazumi Soejima | ![]() |
1:29:16 | |
2008 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:26:49 | 7th victory |
2009 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:33:29 | 8th victory |
2010 | Ernst Van Dyk | ![]() |
1:26:53 | 9th victory |
Year | Athlete | Country/State | Time | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
1977 | Sharon Rahn | ![]() |
3:48:51 | course record |
1978 | Susan Shapiro | ![]() |
3:52:35 | |
1979 | Sheryl Bair | ![]() |
3:27:56 | world record, course record |
1980 | Sharon Limpert | ![]() |
2:49:04 | world record, course record |
1981 | Candace Cable-Brookes | ![]() |
2:38:41 | course record |
1982 | Candace Cable-Brookes | ![]() |
2:12:43 | 2nd victory, world record, course record |
1983 | Sherry Ramsey | ![]() |
2:27:07 | |
1984 | Sherry Ramsey | ![]() |
2:56:51 | 2nd victory |
1985 | Candace Cable-Brookes | ![]() |
2:05:26 | 3rd victory, world record, course record |
1986 | Candace Cable-Brookes | ![]() |
2:09:28 | 4th victory |
1987 | Candace Cable-Brookes | ![]() |
2:19:55 | 5th victory |
1988 | Candace Cable-Brookes | ![]() |
2:10:44 | 6th victory |
1989 | Connie Hansen | ![]() |
1:50:06 | world record, course record |
1990 | Jean Driscoll | ![]() |
1:43:17 | world record, course record |
1991 | Jean Driscoll | ![]() |
1:42:42 | 2nd victory, world record, course record |
1992 | Jean Driscoll | ![]() |
1:36:52 | 3rd victory, world record, course record |
1993 | Jean Driscoll | ![]() |
1:34:50 | 4th victory, world record, course record |
1994 | Jean Driscoll | ![]() |
1:34:22 | 5th victory, world record, course record |
1995 | Jean Driscoll | ![]() |
1:40:42 | 6th victory |
1996 | Jean Driscoll | ![]() |
1:52:56 | 7th victory |
1997 | Louise Sauvage | ![]() |
1:54:28 | |
1998 | Louise Sauvage | ![]() |
1:41:19 | 2nd victory |
1999 | Louise Sauvage | ![]() |
1:42:23 | 3rd victory |
2000 | Jean Driscoll | ![]() |
2:00:52 | 8th victory |
2001 | Louise Sauvage | ![]() |
1:53:54 | 4th victory |
2002 | Edith Hunkeler | ![]() |
1:45:57 | |
2003 | Christina Ripp | ![]() |
1:54:47 | |
2004 | Cheri Blauwet | ![]() |
1:39:53 | |
2005 | Cheri Blauwet | ![]() |
1:47:45 | 2nd victory |
2006 | Edith Hunkeler | ![]() |
1:43:42 | 2nd victory |
2007 | Wakako Tsuchida | ![]() |
1:53:30 | |
2008 | Wakako Tsuchida | ![]() |
1:48:32 | 2nd victory |
2009 | Wakako Tsuchida | ![]() |
1:54:37 | 3rd victory |
2010 | Wakako Tsuchida | ![]() |
1:43:32 | 4th victory |
Country | Men's Open |
Women's Open |
Men's Wheelchair |
Women's Wheelchair |
Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
![]() |
44 | 15 | 12 | 23 | 94 |
![]() |
18 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
![]() |
16 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 20 |
![]() |
8 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 13 |
![]() |
0 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 9 |
![]() |
0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 9 |
![]() |
3 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
![]() |
7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
![]() |
1 | 5[4] | 0 | 0 | 6 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
![]() |
0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
![]() |
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
![]() |
1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
![]() |
0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
![]() |
3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
![]() |
2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
![]() |
0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
![]() |
0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
![]() |
0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
![]() |
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |