By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
BOSTON (22-Jun) — Two athletes already familiar with winning in Boston, Gabriel Geay of Tanzania and Sharon Lokedi of Kenya, triumphed here again this morning, winning the 13th annual Boston 10-K in muggy conditions. Geay, 28, who had won this race twice before in 2018 and 2023, made a powerful surge just past halfway and ran away to victory in 28:14. Lokedi, 31, the reigning Boston Marathon champion, got her first win at this event, holding a gap in the final kilometers and crossing the finish line adjacent to the Public Garden in 31:39. Lokedi joined two other Kenyan women, Hellen Obiri and Caroline Kilel, in having won the Boston Marathon and the Boston 10-K in the same year.
“I like this race because mostly when I race in Boston I get good results,” said Geay, who was also the runner-up at the 2023 Boston Marathon.
Geay, who represents adidas, was confident from the start of the race. Just two minutes in on the ascent of the Longfellow Bridge, Geay pushed to the front. He was joined by Zouair Talbi, a Moroccan-born athlete who recently got USA citizenship, and they were followed closely by Wesley Kiptoo of Kenya, Paddy Dever of Great Britain, and Andrew Alexander of Canada.
But as the race leveled out on the Cambridge side of the Charles River, everyone caught up with Geay and Talbi. About 14 men hit the first mile mark in 4:27, then two miles in 9:10 (4:43). The dark skies turned a little brighter as light rain fell.
Approaching a water station just past the three mile mark, the athletes angled to their right to collect their drinks. Suddenly, without warning, Dennis Kitiyo of Kenya tumbled to the pavement, landing on his back. According to another competitor, Alex Masai of Kenya, Kitiyo stepped on a bottle. Kitiyo regained his feet quickly and was only four seconds behind at Geay 5-K, 14:23 to 14:27.
Moments later, Geay made his big move. As he turned right onto the Harvard Bridge to return to the Boston side of the Charles, the two-time Olympic marathoner surged. He built-up a four-second lead at 4 miles (18:19), and a four-man chase pack –Talbi, Dever, Kitiyo, and Kiptoo– gave chase.
“I was thinking to move after, maybe, seven kilometers, but let me try and see how the crowd is moving with me,” Geay recalled thinking.
The move would stick. By the 8-K mark Geay’s lead had inched up to six seconds and, just for good measure, he ran the fifth mile in 4:30. Despite dodging a few pedestrians in a crosswalk on Boylston Street, Geay held his lead all the way to the finish. His familiarity with the city gave him confidence.
“This is Boston,” said Geay, who earned $12,000 in prize money. “I have title(s) here and I know this race. I will try to do my best.”
Behind him Talbi won the battle for second over Dever, 28:18 to 28:21. Kitiyo –despite his fall– finished fourth in 28:25, and Kiptoo took fifth in 28:32. Joe Klecker, an American who shifted his focus to road racing this year after a distinguished career on the track, finished sixth in 28:35.
“Geay made a huge move across the bridge and it kind of caught me by surprise,” Klecker told Race Results Weekly. “Kind of across the bridge there, I kind of had a bad minute and the pack kind of got away.”
Lokedi, who represents Under Armour, made her move later in the race than Geay. She was one of seven athletes in the lead group at halfway (16:02), but by the 8-kilometer point (25:33) she only had Gladys Kwamboka of Kenya to contend with. Still full of confidence from her Boston Marathon win, Lokedi was confident she could grind down her rival in the final two kilometers. She gradually pulled away, and even though Kwamboka showed a strong sprint in the final meters –getting right up to Lokedi’s heels– Lokedi’s lead held up at the tape. Both women were clocked in 31:39.
“All I could think about was, stay with this pace,” said Lokedi who, like Geay, earned $12,000 in prize money. “It was a good rhythm and then think about getting faster every kilometer we go.” She added: “I was like, don’t look back, don’t look. Then towards this straightaway I looked back and I was like, oh, it’s getting close. I was like, oh my God! Let’s go!”
Third place went to USA marathon record holder Emily Sisson. She was only three seconds back in 31:42.
“I’m a little disappointed with it,” said Sisson, who had to scratch from last year’s race with a mild illness. “I’m happy to be back being disappointed with a third place finish versus where I was a year ago.”
Jesca Chelangat of Kenya (32:00) and Maggie Montoya of the USA (32:04) rounded out the top-5.
Boston Athletic Association officials were relieved to be able to hold the race this morning after the thunderstorms forecasters warned of skirted the city. About 7600 runners finished today’s race.
PHOTO: Gabriel Geay of Tanzania winning the 2025 Boston 10-K (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Sharon Lokedi of Kenya winning the 2025 Boston 10-K (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: 2025 Boston 10-K champions Gabriel Geay of Tanzania and Sharon Lokedi of Kenya (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
ENDS
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