Nell Rojas: Thoughts from the Front

In her Boston debut, Colorado's Nell Rojas placed sixth in 2:27:12, finishing as the top American. Rojas shared time in the lead for much of the race with Olympians and past Boston winners.

"The first 17 miles of Boston was surreal, as I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would be leading Boston. Every step of the last nine miles was fought for. Boston showed me how tough I really am. And I got to do it with the whole city cheering for me. Best experience of my life.

"Huge congrats to everyone who had the perseverance to cross the finish line! No matter if you met your goal or not, there's no way you came out of Boston without growing as a runner and human being. And that's what it's all about."

With a backdrop of fall foliage, the men's leaders race up the Newton hills.

Also alongside was Edna Kiplagat, who began competing at the senior level when Kipyokei was just 7 years old. Kiplagat, a two-time World Champion, was running her 23rd marathon and fourth Boston. Kipyokei was running her third marathon, and first major.

"I watch Edna and I try to do what she does," Kipyokei, 27, said the morning after her win.

Kipyokei also knew that among the things Kiplagat does is win. So, at 30K (about 18.5 miles), she decided to minimize the threat by taking of on her own. For a mile, it looked like she might enjoy a solo run to Boylston Street, but Ethiopia's Netsanet Gudeta had other ideas and by Heartbreak Hill was on her shoulder. The two ran almost side-byside for another mile until Gudeta again dropped back.

Kipyokei was back in charge, but her earlier fears of Kiplagat were not unfounded: Just before Kenmore Square, Kiplagat passed the fading Gudeta for second place and was charging hard, her stride as menacing as it was elegant. But Kipyokei held firm, breaking the tape in 2:24:45.

An elated Kiplagat followed, pumping one arm and waving to the crowd, in 2:25:09, shattering the masters course record by almost 3 minutes. Mary Ngugi of Kenya would follow in 2:25:20. Rojas, 33, would finish sixth as top American in 2:27:12.

The wheelchair races were both settled by Ashland, with Hug and Schär taking commanding early leads that only grew as they neared Boylston Street.

Schär, in quest of her third Boston Marathon victory, already had a 58-second lead at 5K over five-time winner Tatyana McFadden, who less than 24 hours earlier had won the Bank of America Chicago Marathon. The early miles of Boston always favor the 36-year-old downhill specialist, but McFadden — who said that a headwind made Chicago harder than expected — this year wasn't able to use the later

Edna Kiplagat: Masters Course Record

At 41, runner-up Edna Kiplagat set a new masters division course record of 2:25:09

Kiplagat now has a pair of runner-up finishes and a Boston title from 2017 to her name, going along with three Abbott World Marathon Majors series wins and victories in New York City, London, and twice at the world championships.