Boston Marathon 2017 Results: Human Spirit Wins Again

BOSTON - The Boston Marathon did what it does best Monday, providing spectators with all the best aspects of sports. Human drama, elite competition, and an unbreakable spirit dominated from Hopkinton to Boylston Street.

It also continued to reclaim the day from the remnants of tragedy that linger from 2013. Survivors of the bombings crossed the finish line drenched in victory as other victims were honored and remembered once more.

The official winners hailed from Kenya and Switzerland, but runners from dozens of other countries also could count themselves victors. Once more, the most humbling and inspirational stories weren't accompanied by a blistering finish time.

Those fast finishes never fail to impress, though. Kenyan Geoffrey Kirui pulled away late from American Galen Rupp to win the men's elite race early Monday afternoon, finishing in 2 hours, 9 minutes and 37 seconds. Kirui's countrywoman Edna Kiplagat won the women's elite race. Kiplagat finished in 2:21:53. Both victors were running in their first Boston Marathons.

Kirui is the first men's winner from Kenya since 2012. Runner-up Rupp, trying to win as an American, is a Portland, OR native. A Massachusetts man just missed finishing in the top 10. Braintree's Sean Quigley took 11th place, finishing in 2:15:34.

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The first winners to cross the Boylston Street finish did so in record-breaking fashion. In the women's wheelchair race, Switzerland's Manuela Schar was first across the line in 1 hour, 28 minutes and 16 seconds. That's a Boston record, besting Wakako Tsuchida's 2011 mark of 1:34:06.

Marcel Hug, also of Switzerland, again took the men's wheelchair race, his third consecutive Boston victory, in 1:18:4. He had more company down the stretch than Schar, battling off Ernst Van Dyk.

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Meb Keflezighi, the 2014 men's champion running his last Boston Marathon, finished in 2:17:01. He stopped at the finish line to recognize the family of Martin Richard, the 8-year-old boy killed in the 2013 bombings.

Boston Police Commissioner William Evans completed his 52d marathon, his first Boston since the 2013 bombings.

As we await full results of Monday's marathon, catch up on our coverage of last year's race:

• The Race: Winners and results
• The Bonds: Supporters form international friendships
• The Peace: Zero arrests, but don't expect any less security
• The Hurt: Over 2,200 injured, nearly 60 hospitalizations
• The Girls: Video: Lots of support from the famous 'Scream Tunnel'
• The Star: In cop uniform, Mark Wahlberg filmed 'Patriots' Day' at finish line

Main photo courtesy of Mayor Walsh's office. Photo of 2016 finish line by Mike Carraggi, Patch staff