PHOTOS: Boston Marathon 2017 at the Finish Line

BOSTON, MA – As Boston Marathoners rounded the corner onto Boylston Street Monday, they were greeted by a welcome sight. A packed crowd as diverse as the flags that flanked them lined the streets and stood from balconies, clapping and waving signs. They were all united in a common goal – getting each runner home after 26.2 miles.

The first winners to cross the Boylston Street finish this morning did so in record-breaking fashion. In the women's wheelchair race, Switzerland's Manuela Schar was first across the Boylston Street finish 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.

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 an unofficial time of 2:21:53. Both victors were running in their first Boston Marathons.

Less than an hour after the winners crossed the finish line, the floodgates opened. As runners from the men's and women's races came down Boylston in droves, the crowd relented and resorted to nonstop cheering. Check out scenes from the home stretch below.

Mike Carraggi (Patch Staff) contributed to this report.

Photos by Alex Newman (Patch Staff)