Outdoor Sports

Hellen Obiri successfully defended her Boston Marathon title, out-running Sharon Lokedi in the women's race on Monday, while Sisay Lemma delivered a dominant performance en route to victory in the men's event.

Lokedi was eight seconds behind Obiri, who posted a time of 2:22:37, when she crossed the finish line. Edna Kiplagat, a two-time winner of the Boston Marathon, was a distant third.

Top Women's Finishers

1. Hellen Obiri, 2:22:37 
2. Sharon Lokedi, 2:22:45 
3. Edna Kiplagat, 2:23:21 
4. Buze Diriba, 2:24:04 
5. Senbere Teferi, 2:24:04

There was little drama in the men's race as Lemma blew past the competition. His final time of 2:06:17 was 41 seconds better than the next closest runner.

Men's Top Finishers

1. Sisay Lemma, 2:06:17 
2. Mohamed Esa, 2:06:58 
3. Evans Chebet, 2:07:22 
4. John Korir, 2:07:40 
5. Albert Korir, 2:07:47

Whereas some distance runners prefer to ease themselves into a marathon and conserve their energy, Lemma decided to set the tone early on. His fastest speed (13:21) was clocked at the 10-kilometer split. Contrast that to the back half of the race, where only two of his final eight splits were measured at more than 12 mph.

Despite slowing down the longer he went on, the 33-year-old maintained a comfortable lead.

"I decided that I wanted to start fast early," he said of his strategy. "I kept the pace and I won."

Evans Chebet was the reigning two-time champion coming and had the third-fastest time in Boston Marathon history during his 2023 triumph. While he made up some ground during the final five miles, Chebet was unable to cancel out the sizable advantage Lemma built for himself.

The women's race was much more tightly contested.

With 25.2 miles in the books, Lokedi and Obiri were still running neck and neck. Obiri dug down deep in the last mile to get ahead of Lokedi, her speed (12:61 mph) a shade higher (12.27 mph) than that of her compatriot during the split.

For both runners, the Boston Marathon was a great showcase ahead of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

A two-time silver medalist in the 5,000 meters, this could be the year Obiri gets her first taste of Olympic gold.

The third Monday in April is a special holiday in Boston, as each year that brings Patriots' Day. That means two things: an early Red Sox home game and the historic Boston marathon.

This year's edition of the marathon is set for Monday morning. The 26.2-mile race begins in Hopkinton, Mass., and takes runners through a long course that winds up on Boylston St. in Boston.

Here's everything else you need to know about the 2024 Boston Marathon.

2024 Boston Marathon Info

When: Monday, April 15

Start Time: 10 a.m. ET

Course Maps and Road Closures: Course maps and a list of road closures are both available on BAA.org.

This is an historic race, as the Boston Marathon was first held in 1897. That makes this year's running the 128th all time. The event has started in Hopkinton every year since 1924.

"It wouldn't be the Boston Marathon without Hopkinton," Meb Keflezighi, the 2014 men's champion, said, per Jimmy Golen of the Associated Press. "As the sign says, 'It all starts here.'"

So this will be the 100th Boston Marathon to have the starting line in Hopkinton. Because of that, there will be a special design painted onto the pavement where the race begins.

While plenty of people compete in the Boston Marathon for fun or personal reasons, some will be there with a legitimate chance to win. Those runners will come away with cuts of the prize fund, which is more than $1.19 million.

The men's and women's winners will each receive $150,000. The second-place finishers in those divisions earn $75,000, with third place getting $40,000.

Course records for the Boston Marathon were set last decade and have not yet been broken. The men's mark belongs to Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai (2 hours, 3 minutes and 2 seconds in 2011), while the women's record was set by Ethiopia's Bizunesh Deba (2:19:59 in 2014).

There are also typically some celebrities in the Boston Marathon field. And that will be the case again this year. Among those participating include former Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara, former tennis player Nicolas Kiefer and Peloton instructor Matt Wilpers.

Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski will be the grandmaster for the race.

With this being one of six major world marathons, tens of thousands of racers and spectators will be in Boston for the event on Monday. It's a Patriots' Day tradition that is one of the hallmarks of the city.

But for those who can't attend, ESPN2 will have coverage of the Boston Marathon from 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. ET. This makes it so people all over can enjoy the spectacle that is one of the biggest running events of the year.

A new Bassmaster Classic champion has been crowned.

Alabama native Justin Hamner capped off a dominant weekend Sunday and took home the prize for the first time in his career.

Here's a look at the final top 10 for the weekend.

Final 2024 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard

1. Justin Hamner (58 pounds, 6 ounces)

2. Adam Rasmussen (55 pounds, 4 ounces)

3.Cody Huff (50 pounds, 7 ounces)

4. Jay Przekurat (50 pounds, 1 ounce)

5. Lee Livesay (49 pounds, 11 ounces)

6. Cory Johnston (49 pounds, 6 ounces)

7. Kyle Patrick (49 pounds, 4 ounces)

8. Hank Cherry Jr. (49 pounds, 4 ounces)

9. Shane LeHew (48 pounds, 15 ounces)

10. Taku Ito (48 pounds, 5 ounces)

Full leaderboard via Bassmaster.com

Hamner caught five fish that weighed in at 15 pounds total, which brought his totals from the weekend to 15 fish and a combined weight of 58 pounds. The field pushed Hamner more, as Adam Rasmussen caught five fish for 18 pounds and eventually pulled to within three pounds of Hamner on the weekend.

Still, the second-year professional Hamner takes home the signature victory, which is the first of his career.

Some anglers, like Cory Johnston, Kyle Patrick and Shane LeHew, found their way into the top 10. Others, like Brandon Card, Cooper Gallant and Matt Robertson, fell out entirely.

The 2024 Bassmaster Classic continued on the waters of Grand Lake O' The Cherokees in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday.

It was much of the same for Friday's leader Justin Hamner, who reeled in five fish for a total weight of 22 pounds, 6 ounces on Day 1. On Saturday, Hamner brought in five fish for a total weight of 22 pounds, 0 ounces to help him retain the lead heading into the final day.

Adam Rasmussen, who was in third place after Friday, had a big day to propel him into second place on Saturday. Rasmussen reeled in five fish for a total weight of 17 pounds, 10 ounces to bring his two-day total to 36 pounds, 15 ounces.

Here's a look at the top 10 after Day 2:

Saturday's 2024 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard

1. Justin Hamner (42 pounds, 6 ounces)

2. Adam Rasmussen (36 pounds, 15 ounces)

3. Cody Huff (36 pounds, 4 ounces)

4. Brandon Card (34 pounds, 4 ounces)

5. Hank Cherry Jr. (33 pounds, 11 ounces)

6. Cooper Gallant (33 pounds, 3 ounces)

7. Lee Livesay (33 pounds, 1 ounce)

8. Jay Przekurat (32 pounds, 7 ounces)

9. Taku Ito (32 pounds, 3 ounces)

10. Matt Robertson (31 pounds, 11 ounces)

Full leaderboard via Bassmaster.com

Hamner created some space on Saturday and has a comfortable lead after Day 2, and if he manages to bring in a few decent-sized fish on Sunday, he could walk away with a win in his first-ever Bassmaster Classic.

Both Rasmussen and Huff are within striking distance, but would each need to put together big performances to try and dethrone Hamner on the final day.

Some anglers, like Card, made up for slow days on Friday to get into the top 10. Card reeled in five fish for a total weight of 12 pounds, 14 ounces on Friday, but bounced back with a total weight of 21 pounds, 6 ounces on Saturday. Card likely won't be able to win the tournament given his shaky Day 1 performance, but he could keep his spot in the top 10 if he has a big day on Sunday.

The final day of the tournament will begin Sunday morning, and if the trend continues it will be another exciting day on the water in Tulsa.

The first day of the 2024 Bassmaster Classic began on Friday with an exciting day on Grand Lake O' The Cherokees in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Justin Hamner, who is making his first Bassmaster Classic appearance this weekend, was at the top of the leaderboards after Day 1, bringing in five fish for a total weight of 22 pounds, 6 ounces. Just behind him was Cody Huff, who reeled in five fish for a total weight of 21 pounds, 5 ounces.

Last year's winner of the Bassmaster Classic, Jeff Gustafson, had a decent day but is far from the top of the leaderboard. He brought in five fish for a total weight of 13 pounds, 13 ounces and sitting in 29th place. He'll have some work to do on Saturday, but a big day could propel him near the top.

Here's a look at the top 10 after Day 1:

Friday's 2024 Bassmaster Classic Leaderboard

1. Justin Hamner (22 pounds, 6 ounces)

2. Cody Huff (21 pounds, 5 ounces)

3. Adam Rasmussen (19 pounds, 5 ounces)

4. Lee Livesay (18 pounds, 15 ounces)

5. Jay Przekurat (18 pounds, 5 ounces)

6. John Cox (16 pounds, 14 ounces)

t7. Hank Cherry Jr. (16 pounds, 8 ounces)

t7. Matt Robertson (16 pounds, 8 ounces)

9. Tyler Williams (16 pounds, 7 ounces)

10. Shane LeHew (16 pounds, 3 ounces)

Full leaderboard via Bassmaster.com

Hamner got out to a great start on Friday and is now in a good position heading into Day 2. He's searching for his first win in the Bassmaster Classic, so he'll be looking for a big day on Saturday to preserve his narrow lead.

Huff, who is appearing in his second Bassmaster Classic, is just over a pound away from Hamner and is looking to match his success to take the lead and get his first win at the Classic.

Rasmussen, Livesay and Przekurat are all within striking distance of Hamner, and with a full day of fishing ahead, things could get interesting during Day 2 in Tulsa.

Kenya dominated the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday morning.

The country's Dominic Ngeno won the men's race in just over two hours and 11 minutes, besting Cosmas Kiplimo by five seconds.

And Kenya's Stacy Ndiwa won the women's race in two hours, 25 minutes and 28 seconds, besting Volha Mazuronak by 20 seconds. It was her second straight win at the Los Angeles Marathon.

She also won the $10,000 bonus in the Marathon Chase, awarded to the top overall finisher. The elite women in competition were given a 17-minute head start over the elite men. Both Ngeno and Nwida claimed $6,000 as race winners.

Belay Tilahun (2:13:26), Sammy Kipchumba Rotich (2:16:31) and Tesfu Tewelde (2:20:17) rounded out the top five for the men, while Atsede Baysa Tesema (2:25:57), Kumeshi Sichala (2:27:06) and Makena Morely (2:30:24) rounded out the top five for the women.

Sunday's race featured 26,000 applicants—the second-largest field in race history—and weaved its way through a number of beloved Los Angeles neighborhoods and landmarks, from Dodger Stadium to downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park, Hollywood, West Hollywood and Beverly Hills, among other famous destinations.

That allowed runners the chance to take in City Hall, Little Tokyo, Echo Park Lake, the Pantages Theater, the Capitol Records Tower, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Chinese Theater, the Sunset Strip and Rodeo Drive, among other historical landmarks.

Marathon head of communications Don Cruz told Steven Herbert of Fox 11 that the race featured participants from all 50 states and 70 different countries.

A notable annual event will be combined with a holiday on Sunday morning in Los Angeles.

This year, the running of the Los Angeles Marathon will coincide with St. Patrick's Day. So expect to see a lot of participants donning green as they trek through the streets of L.A. for the 2024 edition of the event on Sunday.

It will be the 39th running of the Los Angeles Marathon, which began in 1986, two years after the city hosted the Summer Olympics. Every year, thousands of people take part, getting an opportunity to take in the city's views while also competing at a high level.

Here's everything else you need to know about the 2024 Los Angeles Marathon.

2024 Los Angeles Marathon Information

When: Sunday, March 17

Start Time: 6:30 a.m. PT

Course Map: Available on LAMarathon.com

Road Closures: A list of road closures has been compiled on LAMarathon.com.

The 26.2-mile course for the 2024 L.A. Marathon is the same as in recent years. Runners will begin the morning at the starting line at Dodger Stadium, with the finish line placed at Santa Monica Boulevard and Avenue of the Stars in Carson City.

According to the Los Angeles Times, there will be "roughly 25,000" runners participating in this year's marathon.

Some of the top runners will be familiar to those who follow the sport from a competitive sense.

Among the participants in the women's race will be the defending champion, 31-year-old Stacy Ndiwa of Kenya. Last year, she finished the race in 2 hours, 31 minutes and 2 seconds. Now, she'll look to become the first repeat women's winner since Russia's Tatyana Petrova in 2008 and 2009.

Ndiwa told John Davis of the Los Angeles Daily News that her goal is to finish this year's race in a time of 2 hours and 28 minutes.

"I came here to defend my title so I'm happy because L.A. invited me again," Ndiwa said, per Davis. "I'll do my best to defend my title."

The 2023 men's champion was Ethiopia's Jemal Yimer, who finished in 2 hours, 13 minutes and 15 seconds.

It has been a while since a course record has been set at the Los Angeles Marathon. The men's record belongs to Ethiopia's Markos Geneti (2:06:35 in 2011) and the women's mark was set by Russia's Lidiya Grigoryeva (2:25:10 in 2006).

But there will be plenty of strong runners in the 2024 field, so perhaps there will be race history made on Sunday morning.

One runner to keep an eye on will be Makena Morley, a 27-year-old who should be a top American competitor in the women's field. She's a hopeful for the 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be held in Los Angeles.

"Just experiencing racing in the L.A. will give me a little upper hand maybe to some people when it comes to 2028 here," Morley recently told Davis.

So expect some impressive times to be recorded in the 2024 edition of the Los Angeles Marathon, and then perhaps some will be back in the city in four years.

Five-time Iditarod champion Dallas Seavey told race officials he was forced to kill a moose in self defense on Monday after it injured one of his dogs during this year's race, according to the Associated Press.

The veteran musher shot the moose with a handgun around 2 a.m. Monday morning after it "became entangled with the dogs and the musher," per race officials.

Race rules dictated that Seavey gut the animal and report the incident to officials at the next official checkpoint. Any other mushers who encountered Seavey on the trail would have also been required to stop and help him gut the animal. Alaska State Troopers were informed of the situation and efforts were being made to salvage the animal's meat.

"It fell on my sled, it was sprawled on the trail," Seavey told Iditarod Insider. "I gutted it the best I could, but it was ugly."

Musher Paige Drobny also confirmed the dead animal to race officals.

"Yeah, like my team went up and over it," she said.

Race leader Jessie Holmes said he also encountered a moose at a similar point in the race and said he had to "punch a moose in the nose out there."

Seavey is not the first musher to ever kill a moose in the history of the 1,000-mile dog-sledding race across Alaska. In 1985, four-time champion Susan Butcher had to defend herself with an axe from a moose before another musher came along and killed the animal, though not before it killed two of her dogs and injured 13 more.

One of Seavey's dogs was injured and was transported to an Anchorage veterinarian.

It's already been an eventful February in Las Vegas, with Super Bowl LVIII being held at Allegiant Stadium earlier this month. Now, it's almost time for one of the city's premier running events to make its return.

The 2024 Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Running Series is back this weekend, with a 5K race scheduled for Saturday in Downtown Las Vegas and a 10K and a half marathon both set for Sunday on the Las Vegas Strip. The event changed its format in 2022, opting to have several shorter races instead of a marathon.

The races are a great opportunity for runners to compete at a shorter length and to also take in the sights and bright lights around Vegas. That makes it a popular event every year.

Here's everything else you need to know about this year's edition of the running series.

2024 Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Running Series Info

When: Saturday, Feb. 24 and Sunday, Feb. 25

5K Start Time: Saturday at 5 p.m. PT

10K and Half Marathon Start Time: Sunday at 4:30 p.m. PT

Course Maps and Road Closures: Course maps and a list of road closures are both available on RunRockNRoll.com.

One major change has been announced for the Sunday races this year: a new starting line.

A starting line village has been constructed on the Toshiba Plaza, which is located outside of T-Mobile Arena on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. The move was made to improve the event from recent years.

"After listening to our participants' feedback and working through different available options, we are confident the transition to these iconic venues along The Strip will create an experience that will not only elevate the entertainment opportunities for the World's Largest Running Party, but additionally enhance the race day experience for everyone through ease of location and removing pre-race obstacles runners previously had to navigate," said Nicole Christenson, the event's race director, in a statement via Endurance Sportswire.

While the starting line for the 10K and half marathon will be situated near New York-New York, the finish line will be located slightly north of that area near The Bellagio. Along the way, runners will take in all the spectacles that the Las Vegas Strip has to offer.

The 5K, which occurs a day earlier, will start at 4th Street and Bridger Avenue in Downtown Las Vegas. The race will wrap up on Fremont Street.

According to KLAS-TV, close to 30,000 people will be in Las Vegas this weekend for the running series.

So it should be another successful year for this event. In the past, both runners and spectators have made the Las Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Running Series a fun place to be, and this iteration should be no different.

Kelvin Kiptum, who holds the world-record time for a men's marathon, died Sunday at 24 years old, per Evelyn Watta of Olympics.com.

Kiptum and his coach, Gervais Hakizimana, died after a car accident in Kenya.

Kiptum set the world record during the Chicago Marathon on Oct. 8 when he ran the course in two hours and 35 seconds. He cleared the previous record, which was held by two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, by 34 seconds.

Issy Ronald of CNN reported at the time that it was just his third competitive marathon of his career.

"I knew I was coming for a course record, but a world record—I am so happy," Kiptum said after breaking the record. "A world record was not on my mind today, but I knew one day I would be a world record-holder."

Watta noted World Athletics just ratified his record last week.