2. John Korir Had That Dog In Him

Falling at the start? No problem. (Video here!) Korir got himself back up and kept his composure to absolutely detonate the field with a savage 4:40 up Heartbreak Hill and never looked back. It should come as no surprise with the manner in which he won last fall’s Chicago Marathon but that’s now the second-fastest winning time in the Boston Marathon’s 129-year history. The bonus from all of this is that he has more World Marathon Major wins and a way faster personal best than his brother Wesley (2012 Boston Marathon champion). As we constantly look around for the world’s best marathoner, we may have just seen him.

3. One Giant Leap Forward For Conner Mantz And America

Mantz didn’t just clock a 2:05:08—he raced it. He displayed one of the most aggressive and boldest strategies imaginable to start the Boston Marathon in the lead against a super talented field. The best part of the race came when Korir made his move and Mantz chose to commit to it. He talked so much about being there to cover the moves and he did just that. Now, he’s the second-fastest American marathoner in history on all courses and conditions and came just 22 seconds away from a victory.

Real quick: Kudos to Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu for taking second in 2:05:04 and Kenya’s Cybrian Kotut who was third in 2:05:04. They just had the legs in them in the final 300m that Mantz just did not have. That’s both their best showings at a Major Marathon, as well.

4. Obiri Finally Ran An Honest Marathon—And Set A PB

In the past, fans usually had to snoop around a PB-ranked marathon start list to find Hellen Obiri even though she’s typically the reigning champion or a contender for the victory. She just had yet to run fast on a flat course. She didn’t need one on Monday as she went 2:17:41 in Boston on a windy day. Obiri executed a very similar race to past year’s but her final gear was matched and surpassed this time. Lokedi broke her with less than a mile and a half to go. Usually it’s easy to predict that an athlete will return to the same World Marathon Major when they win so Obiri not winning could open the possibility to run a flat, fast race like London next spring. Although, Boston organizers and the elite athlete recruiting team would love to secure a rematch to keep the rivalry going. And if you’re Obiri and continue to make the podium in Boston, why change things?

5. Clayton Young = Steady, Solid, Sub-2:08

All of the YouTube documentary series subscribers could breathe a sigh of relief on Monday afternoon. A rough tune-up season didn’t derail Young from coming up strong on race day, where he clocked a 2:07:04 for seventh place. He talked about negotiating his Boston Marathon contract to be able to take a big swing during the race and he did just that by trying to follow Korir, Mantz and the leaders before Heartbreak. It was too much for him and he wasn’t able to latch on but still did not blow up as much as he could’ve. All things considered a strong day for Young.

6. Ryan Ford Is That Guy Now

I’ve been singing Ryan Ford’s praises on our shows for months. I was encouraged by seeing him hang with Clayton Young and Conner Mantz as a pacer at the Chicago Marathon in 2023. He’s got no sponsor but one of the PUMA running folks that we were working with said Ford reached out for a pair of shoes given the discussion and hype around the Fast R-3. He broke the sacred rule of “nothing new on race day,” wore them for the first time on Monday, and was rewarded with a tenth place at Boston in 2:08:00. We’ll see if he’s able to fetch more than a free pair of shoes from a footwear brand soon.

7. American Men Are Getting Better

It feels like it was just yesterday that the running world was upset that American men were not breaking 2:10 regularly. Now, we’ve got four Americans who have run 2:08:00 or faster in 2025 (Mantz, Young, Ford, and Matthew Richtman). Mantz and Young continue to hold onto the top two spots (we’ll have to see how Biya Simbassa runs in his next one) but there’s still a lot of time for the U.S. men’s distance running picture to change before the 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials, if there even is one of those.

8. Rory Linkletter Likes To Tango

Rory Linkletter gave us one of the best moments of the day as he charged down Boylston Street in a sprint finish with Young. The friendly rivalry between the two former BYU teammates was on full display as the two cracked smiles at the finish line, and ultimately it was the Canadian who came out on top with a 2:07:02 for sixth place. That was the fastest men’s performance on the day for the Fast R-3 and a 59-second improvement from his personal best last year in Seville. It’s also good progress as he tries to inch toward Cam Levins’ 2:05:36 national record.

9. Jess McClain Runs Smart

It wasn’t a fourth place finish! McClain went out a bit more conservative and despite losing touch with the women’s lead pack early, she capitalized upon some of the carnage from those who risked it, ending up with a seventh-place finish in 2:22:43, and cementing her status as top American woman on the day.

10. Annie Frisbie Can Be Proud

When I spoke with Annie Frisbie on Saturday during a PUMA panel, I asked her how she’d define success on race day. She said she was looking for a race that would be more reflective of what she thinks she is capable of in the marathon. Frisbie should be satisfied as she clocked her best race since her debut, finishing in 2:23:21 for eighth. It was surprising after the women’s lead pack splintered that she was the only American who remained with it when the likes of Keira D’Amato, Emma Bates, Dakotah Lindwurm, and Sara Hall had so much more experience with an international field. For Frisbie, that’s nearly a three-minute PR. Similar to the discussion around the tide turning on the next generation of American marathoners on the men’s side, Frisbie is a factor on the women’s side.

11. Des Linden Got Her Moment—Again

On Monday morning, Linden took out a page in the Boston Globe and announced the 2025 Boston race would be her final marathon as a professional. She appeared to get emotional at the start and finish. Her 2:26:19 performance was a fitting farewell at age 41 for a legend in Boston, as it was her fastest time in eight years. Her “keep showing up” mantra will echo for many years beyond her competitive days, as will her iconic victory in 2018.