Mutai - who is no relation to Emmanuel Mutai, the winner of the Virgin London Marathon yesterday - won in 2 hours 03min 02sec to defeat countryman Moses Mosop by four seconds and beat the marathon world-record time of 2:03:59 run in 2008 at Berlin by Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie.

But, because of its net elevation drop and due to the fact that the distance between the start and finish cannot be more than 50 per cent of the distance of the race, and Boston separation is 91 per cent, the Boston course does not qualify for world records.

"I knew I could run well but the record was not on my mind," said Mutai after finishing ahead of a field of nearly 27,000 runners.

"I was feeling OK.

"I was confident in myself. I was training so much."

Mutai, 29, also broke the Boston Marathon men's record set by Kenyan Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot last year of 2:05:52.

"I prepared myself well in cross country," Mutai said.

"But I was not having any ideas about the world record."

American Ryan Hall seized the early lead before a pack of 11 closed upon him just after the mid-point of the race and Ethiopia's Bekana Daba led another surge that dropped half of that dozen.

When Mutai issued another challenge over the final five miles, only Mosop could counter.

Mosop closed late but could not overtake Mutai, whose prior personal best was a 2:04:55 from a runner-up effort last year at Rotterdam.

"I knew him but I was confident," Mutai said.

"I tried to push myself.

"The wind was blowing on all sides all over the course.

"We were not facing the wind but it was coming from all around us."

Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam, who won in New York last October in his marathon debut, was third in 2:04:53, five seconds ahead of Hall in fourth, whose 2:04:58 was the fastest ever run by an American.


Kilel won the women's race in an official time of 2:22:36, two seconds ahead of American Desiree Davila with Kenya's Sharon Cherop third in 2:22:42.

In a thrilling finish, Davila passed Kilel for the lead on the penultimate turn but fell behind the Kenyan again as the finish line came in sight.

Davila made a final surge to lead once more but Kilel answered with 200 meters to go and seized the lead for good, collapsing as she crossed the finish line.

"The last 400 I tried to sprint and then I came to sprint again the last 200 meters," Kilel said.

Davila just missed becoming the first US woman to win at Boston since Lisa Larsen Weidenbach in 1985, saying she was disappointed at the outcome but thrilled at the effort.

"It was the most incredible experience in my running career," Davila said.

"She did a little bit better than me out there. That was all I had.

"My legs were shot.

"That [late surge] was the last thing I had.

"I thought maybe if I could get to the line I could get her at the lean. but I had nothing left."