Nell Rojas from Boulder was the top American finisher at the Boston Marathon on Monday, placing sixth overall in a personal best 2 hours, 27 minutes, 12 seconds. It was her fourth marathon.
She paced the pack for the first 10 kilometers, which was not part of her game plan.
“I was expecting this one to go out fast and to just be able to hang on to the back of the pack,” said Rojas. “I never lead, so that was interesting for me.”
Despite being the top US finisher, Rojas believes she has plenty of room for improvement, citing downhills and staying relaxed in the pack as weaknesses.
“I learned a lot,” said Rojas. “I think that now that I know the course I can alter my training accordingly and run faster next time.”
Shalane Flanagan, a former New York City Marathon winner and Olympic 10,000-meter silver medalist, also competed, just one day after running the Chicago Marathon. She placed 33rd on the women’s side in both races, finishing Boston in 2:40:36 and Chicago in 2:46:39. She has run four of the six major marathons this fall, finishing each in under three hours. Flanagan retired in 2019.
Read more at: https://www.bostonglobe.com