2004 Boston Marathon

In the most significant change to the women’s race since females were officially permitted to compete (1972) and prize money was instituted (1986), the top 35 entrants began in Boston’s first elite women’s start at 11:31 a.m., 29 minutes prior to the noon start. The new format was marked by a duel for the ages as defending world champion Catherine Ndereba, of Kenya, chased Ethiopian Elfenesh Alemu for the first 16 miles before pulling away for good with exactly one mile to go. Ndereba’s third victory and 16-second margin over Alemu tied the closest winner/runner-up finish in women’s race history. Timothy Cherigat, of Kenya, pulled three other countrymen up and over Heartbreak Hill before breaking loose on the famous landmark’s downslope. The fourth-place finisher from the previous year, Cherigat added to his homeland’s dominance of the men’s race since 1988, becoming the ninth different Kenyan male to win. Since 1988, Kenyans have won 14 of 18 men’s division championships. At 45 years old, Joshua Kipkemboi won the masters division for the third time and became the oldest champion since the division was formalized in 1975.

Ramilia Burangulova was victorious among female masters, marking the third consecutive victory by a Russian and the third consecutive year that the masters champion also finished among the top 10 overall. The weather — with the temperature at 83 degrees at the start and 86 by mid-afternoon at the finish — was the other major story. Despite a record number of runners treated for heat-related illnesses, 93 percent of the field finished (20,404 entrants; 18,003 starters; 16,783 finishers). While it was the hottest Patriots’ Day since 1976, an accurate long-range forecast gave participants and race management ample time to adjust their game-day plans.