BOSTON — Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya ran the fastest 26.2 miles in history Monday to win the Boston Marathon. Then his claim to a world record was swallowed up by the hills.

Not the inclines of Heartbreak Hill that have doomed so many runners before him.

It was the downhill part of the race that made his time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, 2 seconds ineligible for an official world record. In short: IAAF rules have deemed the oldest and most prestigious marathon in the world – long considered one of the most difficult – to be too easy.

“You don’t look at world records. You just go,” Mutai said. “If you are strong, you push it. But if you put it in your head, you can’t make it.”

Mutai outsprinted Moses Mosop down Boylston Street to win by 4 seconds as the two Kenyans both beat Haile Gebrselassie’s sanctioned world record of 2:03:59. Four men, including third-place finisher Gebregziabher Gebremariam of Ethiopia and American Ryan Hall, broke the course record of 2:05:52 set last year by Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot.

“These guys obviously showed us what’s possible for the marathon,” said Hall, whose 2:04:58 is the fastest ever run by an American. “I was out there running and I was thinking to myself, ‘I can’t believe this is happening right now. I’m running a 2:04 pace and I can’t even see the leaders.’ It was unreal.”

The IAAF must certify a world record and is unlikely to approve Mutai’s feat. The international governing body’s Rule 206 requires courses to start and finish near the same point to discourage downhill, wind-aided runs and the artificially fast times they can produce. Boston has a net decline of 459 feet, though the course is dominated by hills going up and down.

“We had a stunning performance and an immensely fast time here today,” said Tom Grilk, the head of the Boston Athletic Association, after Mutai ran almost a full minute faster than the sanctioned world record. “We in Boston are well-pleased with what has happened, and that’s good unto itself. The definitions of others, I will leave to them.”

Carolina Kilel of Kenya won the women’s race, outsprinting Desiree Davila of Rochester Hills, Mich., to win by 2 seconds in 2:22:36. Davila led as late as the final stretch on Boylston Street and ran the fastest time ever for a U.S. woman, 5 seconds faster than Joan Benoit, who is now known as Joan Samuelson.

Kara Goucher of Portland, Ore., ran 2:24:52 to add a fifth-place finish to her third in 2009. No American man or woman has won Boston since Lisa Larsen-Weidenbach in 1985.

Kim Smith, a New Zealander who lives in Providence, R.I., took off at a record pace and led the women for more than 20 miles.

The men were more steady.

Mutai and Mosop ran side-by-side for the final miles before Mutai pulled ahead for good on Boylston Street.

“When I was coming to Boston, I was not trying to break the world record. But I see the gift from God,” Mutai said. “I’m happy. I don’t have more words to add.”

Cheruiyot, who had been recovering from a car accident in Kenya, finished sixth. Teyba Erkesso, the defending women’s champion, dropped out before the halfway point.

The women’s pack let Smith go, falling almost a minute behind. But 20 miles in, she began to stutter-step.

Soon, she had stopped completely to rub her right calf. It was only for a few seconds, but when she resumed she had clearly slowed and the pack was upon her less than a mile later.

Among them was Davila.

She ran with Kenyans Kilel and Sharon Cherop through Chestnut Hill and briefly broke out of her rhythm to wave as the crowd began chanting, “U-S-A!” The three swapped leads down Beacon Street in Brookline, Mass., and Davila led even on the final stretch before Kilel outkicked her.

“It was the most excitement I’ve had in a race ever and just really carried me the last 6 miles,” Davila said. “I felt that energy, and I felt comfortable at the front and pushing the pace because of that. It really just carried me through to the finish line.”

Masazumi Soejima and Wakako Tsuchida gave Japan a sweep of the men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions.

 

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