Boston Marathon: List of top performers across the decade ft. Evans Chebet, Meb Keflezighi

The Boston Marathon has been one of the most premium events in the world when it comes to marathon running. The event was started in 1897 by the Boston Athletic Association and has been held annually since then on the third Monday of April as a celebration of Patriot's Day. The 2024 edition of the event is scheduled to be held on April 15.

The Boston Marathon has become one of the most viewed sporting events in New England in recent years, attracting nearly 500,000 spectators. Moreover, the participant tally has also increased progressively, starting from 15 in 1897 to more than 30,000 in recent years.

The tournament also consists of various events for the specially-abled category of athletes, namely the men's wheelchair event, women's wheelchair event, men's handcycle event and the women's handcycle event. Over the years, the event has been graced by some of the most high-profile athletes in the world such as Clarence DeMarr and John McDermott.

All said and done, let's look at some of the top performers at the Boston Marathon over the years.

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Top performers from the Boston Marathon over the years

2023 event

Ernst Van Dyk

Ernst van Dyk, a South African wheelchair racer is the most successful individual athlete in the world. The Ceres native has bagged 13 medals in the tournament including 10 gold. Besides this, Van Dyk has also clinched eight medals at the Paralympic Games.

Clarence DeMar

Nicknamed "Mr. Demarathon", DeMar is the most successful athlete in the competition when it comes to the men's open race category. The Ohio native has clinched seven gold medals at the Boston Marathon. DeMar has also been an Olympic bronze medalist in marathons.

Evans Chebet

Evans Chebet has been one of the most successful performers at the Boston event in recent years. Chabet has emerged victorious in the event two times in his career in 2022 and 2023.

Meb Keflezighi

The 2004 Olympic silver medalist, Meb Kefezighi, has performed quite consistently in the tournament. The former American long-distance runner clinched gold in the 2014 edition of the event. He also finished third in the 2006 edition.

Jean Driscoll

Jean Driscoll is the most successful athlete in women's wheelchair racing. The American has won the tournament a record eight times in her career which includes her seven-year unbeaten streak from 1990-1996. The Wisconsin native has also bagged five Paralympic golds in her illustrious career.

Tom Davis

Tom Davis has been a prominent name when it comes to the handcycle division of the Boston Marathon. He has won the competition three times in his career.