photo credit: Victah Sailer

Boston Marathon - Previous Head-To-Head Results
by MarathonGuide.com Staff

There are two components to successful marathoning - the ability to run fast and the ability to keep in the game and compete head to head against the competition. Beyond the best times and personal bests, we like to look at the times when these men and women have run against each other - and sometimes that can tell us about mental toughness. The chart below shows the times when the elite runners in the 2011 Boston Marathon field have run against each other and what we think that tells us.

In the men's race there are three notable men who battled it out at the 2009 and 2010 editions of the race - Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot, Tekeste Kebede and Ryan Hall. Usually at these races, we see men who have run against each other often, but this report shows that most of these men have not run against each other - anything can happen as the various strategies and running styles interact.

In the women's race, many of these women have seen each other in competition - but there is no clear pattern as to how those competitions have played out over 26.2 miles. As the women's field shakes out, we'll be referring to this page to see which runners have the staying power to outlast their competition.

Past performances don't necessarily predict what will happen in the future and not all of these runners have faced each other before, but this adds to our knowledge and we like it.

Men Dubai - Jan 27, 2012 5 Tadesse Tola (ETH) 2:05:10 8 Deressa Chimsa (ETH) 2:05:42 15 Stephen Kibiwott (KEN) 2:08:11 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Men's Marathon - Jan 14, 2012 2 Ryan Hall (USA) 2:09:30 5 Brett Gotcher (USA) 2:11:06 Xiamen - Jan 7, 2012 1 Peter Kamais (KEN) 2:07:37 6 Robert Kipchumba (KEN) 2:09:46 New York City - Nov 6, 2011 1 Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) 2:05:06 4 Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam (ETH) 2:08:00 Frankfurt - Oct 30, 2011 4 Philip Sanga Kimutai (KEN) 2:06:07 5 Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:06:29 Chicago - Oct 9, 2011 1 Moses Mosop (KEN) 2:05:37 4 Bekana Daba (ETH) 2:07:59 5 Ryan Hall (USA) 2:08:04 6 Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:10:29 Boston - Apr 18, 2011 1 Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) 2:03:02 2 Moses Mosop (KEN) 2:03:06 3 Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam (ETH) 2:04:53 4 Ryan Hall (USA) 2:04:58 5 Abreham Cherkos Feleke (ETH) 2:06:13 6 Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:06:43 7 Philip Sanga Kimutai (KEN) 2:07:10 8 Deressa Chimsa (ETH) 2:07:39 9 Bekana Daba (ETH) 2:08:03 10 Robert Kipchumba (KEN) 2:08:44 11 Peter Kamais (KEN) 2:09:50 13 Gilbert Yegon (KEN) 2:13:00 Houston - Jan 30, 2011 1 Bekana Daba (ETH) 2:07:04 6 Brett Gotcher (USA) 2:19:30 Dubai - Jan 21, 2011 2 Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:08:17 4 Deressa Chimsa (ETH) 2:09:08 New York City - Nov 7, 2010 1 Gebre-egziabher Gebremariam (ETH) 2:08:14 12 PETER KAMAIS (KEN) 2:14:58 Frankfurt - Oct 31, 2010 2 Tadesse Tola (ETH) 2:06:31 4 Philip Sanga Kimutai (KEN) 2:07:11 Amsterdam - Oct 17, 2010 4 Abreham Cherkos Feleke (ETH) 2:07:29 6 Shadrack Kiplagat (KEN) 2:07:56 Boston - Apr 19, 2010 1 Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:05:52 2 Tekeste Kebede (ETH) 2:07:23 4 Ryan Hall (USA) 2:08:41 12 Antonio Vega (USA) 2:13:47 22 Gilbert Yegon (KEN) 2:21:12 Fukuoka - Dec 6, 2009 2 Tekeste Kebede (ETH) 2:07:52 5 Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:09:46 Eindhoven - Oct 11, 2009 1 Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) 2:07:01 2 Philip Sanga Kimutai (KEN) 2:08:07 Boston - Apr 20, 2009 3 Ryan Hall (USA) 2:09:40 4 Tekeste Kebede (ETH) 2:09:49 5 Robert Kiprono Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:10:06 8 Evans Kiprop Cheruiyot (KEN) 2:12:45 Eindhoven - Oct 12, 2008 1 Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) 2:07:50 12 Deressa Chimsa (ETH) 2:13:04

Women London Olympics - Aug 5, 2012 11 Kara Goucher (USA) 2:26:07 15 Kim Smith (NZL) 2:26:59 London - Apr 22, 2012 4 Florence Kiplagat (KEN) 2:20:57 23 Yuliya Ruban (UKR) 2:34:47 2012 U.S. Olympic Team Trials - Women's Marathon - Jan 14, 2012 2 Desireé Davila (USA) 2:25:55 3 Kara Goucher (USA) 2:26:06 New York City - Nov 6, 2011 5 Kim Smith (NZL) 2:25:46 6 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:25:57 7 Caroline Rotich (KEN) 2:27:06 10 Galina Bogomolova (RUS) 2:29:03 13 WERKNESH KIDANE (ETH) 2:33:08 Daegu World Championships - Aug 27, 2011 3 Sharon Cherop (KEN) 2:29:14 29 Caroline Rotich (KEN) 2:37:07 Boston - Apr 18, 2011 1 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:22:36 2 Desireé Davila (USA) 2:22:38 3 Sharon Cherop (KEN) 2:22:42 4 Caroline Rotich (KEN) 2:24:26 5 Kara Goucher (USA) 2:24:52 6 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:25:08 7 Werknesh Kidane (ETH) 2:26:15 9 Alice Timbilili (KEN) 2:26:34 10 Yuliya Ruban (UKR) 2:27:00 11 Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH) 2:27:29 12 Woynishet Girma (ETH) 2:28:48 13 Hellen Mugo (KEN) 2:29:06 14 Silviya Skvortsova (RUS) 2:29:14 15 Tatyana Pushkareva (RUS) 2:29:20 Mumbai - Jan 16, 2011 2 Merima Hasen (ETH) 2:26:57 3 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:29:04 New York City - Nov 7, 2010 5 Kim Smith (NZL) 2:29:28 8 Caroline Rotich (KEN) 2:29:46 12 TEYBA ERKESSO (ETH) 2:31:06 15 TATYANA PUSHKAREVA (RUS) 2:34:05 16 SALINA KOSGEI (KEN) 2:34:14 Frankfurt - Oct 31, 2010 1 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:23:25 2 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:23:44 7 Yuliya Ruban (UKR) 2:27:44 Amsterdam - Oct 17, 2010 1 Alice Timbilili (KEN) 2:25:03 4 Woynishet Girma (ETH) 2:27:51 Toronto Waterfront Marathon - Sep 26, 2010 1 Sharon Cherop (KEN) 2:22:43 2 Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH) 2:22:44 2 Tirfi Tsegaye (ETH) 2:22:41 3 Merima Hasen (ETH) 2:23:06 Boston - Apr 19, 2010 1 Teyba Erkesso (ETH) 2:26:11 2 Tatyana Pushkareva (RUS) 2:26:14 3 Salina Kosgei (KEN) 2:28:35 4 Woynishet Girma (ETH) 2:28:36 Los Angeles - Mar 21, 2010 2 Teya Naser (ETH) 2:26:20 3 Silviya Skvortsova (RUS) 2:27:20 Chicago - Oct 11, 2009 4 Teyba Erkesso (ETH) 2:26:56 11 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:35:36 Berlin World Championships - Aug 23, 2009 10 Kara Goucher (USA) 2:27:48 11 Desireé Davila (USA) 2:27:53 23 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:32:42 Boston - Apr 20, 2009 1 Salina Kosgei (KEN) 2:32:16 2 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:32:17 3 Kara Goucher (USA) 2:32:25 9 Alice Timbilili (KEN) 2:36:25 New York City - Nov 2, 2008 3 Kara Goucher (USA) 2:25:53 5 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:29:14 7 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:29:28 Beijing Olympics - Aug 17, 2008 2 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:27:06 10 Salina Kosgei (KEN) 2:29:28 15 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:31:16 27 Blake RUSSELL (USA) 2:33:13 Boston Trials - Apr 20, 2008 3 Blake Russell (USA) 2:32:40 13 Desireé Davila (USA) 2:37:50 London - Apr 13, 2008 4 Salina Kosgei (KEN) 2:26:30 11 Silviya Skvortsova (RUS) 2:29:11 Nashville - Apr 29, 2006 3 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:39:10 3 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:35:15 London - Apr 23, 2006 5 Galina Bogomolova (RUS) 2:21:58 8 Salina Kosgei (KEN) 2:28:40 Helsinki World Championships - Aug 14, 2005 2 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:22:01 37 Dire Tune (ETH) 2:39:13 Boston - Apr 18, 2005 1 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:25:13 2 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:27:03 Athens Olympics - Aug 22, 2004 2 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:26:32 4 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:28:15 Boston - Apr 19, 2004 1 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:24:27 2 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:24:43 Saint-Denis - Aug 31, 2003 1 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:23:55 6 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:26:29 London - Apr 13, 2003 2 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:19:55 8 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:24:56 Boston - Apr 15, 2002 2 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:21:12 3 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:26:01 Chicago - Oct 7, 2001 1 Catherine N'dereba (KEN) 2:18:47 2 Elfenesh Alemu (ETH) 2:24:54

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