Swiss athlete wins wheelchair race

Last year Edith Hunkeler already expressed her hopes of winning the Boston Marathon one day Keystone Archive

Switzerland's Edith Hunkeler has won the Boston Marathon wheelchair race in 1:45:57.

The 29-year-old topped last year’s time by eight minutes and one second and managed to improve her final placement in every one of her three Boston Marathons so far.

Hunkeler could not hold back her tears when she arrived at the finishing line. “I was ready to win and I kept myself going by saying ‘go, go, go’ during the race,” she said.

Last year she came second and was only four seconds behind the Australian, Louise Sauvage, who raced the 42,195 kilometres in 1:53:54.

After the 2001 race she already expressed her hopes to win the marathon one day. “Once in my life I know I’ll win the Boston Marathon. And I hope it will be next year.”

Other winners

The Kenyan Rodgers Rop won the men’s race in 2:09:02. His compatriot, Margaret Okayo, achieved victory in the women’s competition in 2:20:42.

Okayo managed to take 62 seconds off the course record.

South Africa’s Ernst van Dyk won the men’s wheelchair race by almost three minutes in 1:23:19.

swissinfo