<p>In favourably cool conditions with a light wind, Cheruiyot, clocked two hours, five minutes and 52 seconds as he crossed the finish line, holding off Ethiopians Tekeste Kebede and defending champion Deriba Merga. <br /><br />Cheruiyot said he wanted to stick with Merga, who broke from a large pack of men's runners at mid-race. <br /><br />"If somebody is a champion, you try to go with them," said the 21-year-old, who broke Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot's previous course record of 2:07:14 set in 2006. <br />Ryan Hall led at the halfway mark before finishing fourth in 2:08:41, the fastest time for an American.<br /><br />"My goal going into the race were to have fun and to run free," Hall said.<br />In the women's race, Erkesso built a big lead going into the final few miles but was reeled in by Russia's Tatyana Pushkareva, who set up a furious sprint down Boston's Boylston Street to the finish line. <br /><br />Erkesso won by three seconds in 2:26:11. Last year's winner, Kenya's Salina Kosgei, was third. <br /><br />The Ethiopian said she attempted to drive the pace from the start, fearing that other runners had stronger finishing kicks. <br /><br />"I knew the Russian lady was coming from behind me. 'She doesn't pass me today,' I'm thinking in my mind," Erkesso said. "I didn't believe I would win it until the very end." <br /><br />Results: Men: Robert Cheruiyot (Ken, 2hrs 05mins 52secs) 1; Tekeste Kebede (Eth, 2:07:23) 2; Deriba Merga (Eth, 2:08:39) 3; Ryan Hall (US, 2:08:41) 4; Meb Keflezighi (US, 2:09:26) 5.<br /><br />Women: Teyba Erkesso (Eth, 2hrs 26mins 11secs) 1; Tatyana Pushkareva (Rus, 2:26:14) 2; Salina Kosgei (Ken, 2:28:35) 3; Waynishet Girma Tafa (Eth, 2:28:36) 4; Bruna Genovese (Ita, 2:29:12) 5.</p>
<p>In favourably cool conditions with a light wind, Cheruiyot, clocked two hours, five minutes and 52 seconds as he crossed the finish line, holding off Ethiopians Tekeste Kebede and defending champion Deriba Merga. <br /><br />Cheruiyot said he wanted to stick with Merga, who broke from a large pack of men's runners at mid-race. <br /><br />"If somebody is a champion, you try to go with them," said the 21-year-old, who broke Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot's previous course record of 2:07:14 set in 2006. <br />Ryan Hall led at the halfway mark before finishing fourth in 2:08:41, the fastest time for an American.<br /><br />"My goal going into the race were to have fun and to run free," Hall said.<br />In the women's race, Erkesso built a big lead going into the final few miles but was reeled in by Russia's Tatyana Pushkareva, who set up a furious sprint down Boston's Boylston Street to the finish line. <br /><br />Erkesso won by three seconds in 2:26:11. Last year's winner, Kenya's Salina Kosgei, was third. <br /><br />The Ethiopian said she attempted to drive the pace from the start, fearing that other runners had stronger finishing kicks. <br /><br />"I knew the Russian lady was coming from behind me. 'She doesn't pass me today,' I'm thinking in my mind," Erkesso said. "I didn't believe I would win it until the very end." <br /><br />Results: Men: Robert Cheruiyot (Ken, 2hrs 05mins 52secs) 1; Tekeste Kebede (Eth, 2:07:23) 2; Deriba Merga (Eth, 2:08:39) 3; Ryan Hall (US, 2:08:41) 4; Meb Keflezighi (US, 2:09:26) 5.<br /><br />Women: Teyba Erkesso (Eth, 2hrs 26mins 11secs) 1; Tatyana Pushkareva (Rus, 2:26:14) 2; Salina Kosgei (Ken, 2:28:35) 3; Waynishet Girma Tafa (Eth, 2:28:36) 4; Bruna Genovese (Ita, 2:29:12) 5.</p>
