Uganda’s Victor Kiplangat delivered a determined performance at the 129th Boston Marathon on Monday, finishing 13th in a competitive men’s elite field.
The reigning World Champion clocked 2:10:13 after recovering from an early gap to make up ground in the final stages of the race.
Kiplangat, running as part of the NN Running Team, started conservatively and slipped back to 20th place by the 10km mark, trailing the leaders by 13 seconds.
Despite falling further off the pace midway through the race, the 24-year-old demonstrated his resilience, pushing through the hilly Newton sections and steadily gaining on faltering rivals.
By halfway, he remained in 21st position as the lead pack surged ahead, but the Ugandan refused to relent.
In a late-race push, Kiplangat moved up the standings to finish 13th overall in 2:10:13 — a respectable result on the famously demanding Boston course.
The men’s race was won by Kenya’s John Korir in 2:04:45, adding the Boston title to his 2024 Chicago Marathon victory.
He launched a decisive surge after 30km to break away from the field and held off Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu and Kenya’s Cybrian Kotut, who finished second and third respectively.
Kiplangat’s effort came in the wake of a strong marathon debut season, which included a world title in 2023 and high expectations coming into Boston.
Although he missed out on a top ten finish, his late-race comeback highlighted his endurance and determination, especially in a field stacked with seasoned marathoners.
The Boston Marathon marked the third stop on the 2025 Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit and attracted a deep field of elite runners on a cool, sunny morning in Massachusetts.
