Marcel Hug broke his own course record and Susannah Scaroni overcame a loose wheel that forced a brief stop for a repair as they won the men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions of the Boston Marathon on Monday.
Hug, a six-time Boston Marathon champion, shattered his previous 1:18.04 record set in 2017 with a 1:17.06 time in the men’s wheelchair race.
Hug had a chance to break the record in 2021 and win a $50,000 bonus, but took a wrong turn. He still won the race, but missed out on the prize. He did not compete in 2022 because of medical reasons.
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“I’m just so, so happy with the race today. It was difficult in these conditions, especially with the rain, but I’m happy I was prepared for rain. Everything went perfect,” Hug said.
He said he wanted to get a fast start.
“I was just trying to go as fast as possible and see what was possible today in these conditions,” he said.
Hug at one point held a seven-minute lead, then finished 10 minutes, 39 seconds ahead of runner-up Daniel Romanchuk.
“Just incredible. I was just pushing for myself ... pushing against the clock. I didn’t care what was going on behind me,” Hug said.
Scaroni, after years of finishing near the front, won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:41.45. Scaroni had to pull over early in the race to fix a loose wheel but forged ahead. She was leading by more than 20 minutes at the 20-mile mark.
Scaroni won both the Chicago and New York City Marathons for the first time in 2022. She previously finished second in the Boston Marathon both last year and in 2018, and in third place three other times.
“It was pretty emotional. Every single time I’ve done this course, it has been in different conditions. Every race has been just as difficult as the one before it,” Scaroni said. “I always give everything I have and I know everyone else is doing so also. So this is extra special.”
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Madison De Rozario was second and Wakako Tsuchida was third, and both crossed the finish more than five minutes after Scaroni.
“Hearing the crowds on Boylston is the most noise I’ve ever heard crossing this line,” Scaroni said. “It normally seems like it takes 10 years to get down Boylston, but today I felt like I was lifted by the crowd and It’s just awesome to be here ... to be loved and supported by all of the BAA and my coach and my family and my friends.”
Scaroni’s wheelchair appeared to be audibly squeaking in the wet conditions Monday, and her stop in Natick took just a few seconds as she applied tools to what appeared to be a loose wheel.
“This course is pretty bumpy ... especially, well, mostly all of it ... and my right wheel came loose. I had a kit with me, so I pulled over and tightened it as quickly as I could and got back into the race,” Scaroni said. “I just hoped I could maybe maintain a gap, but that’s exactly what happened. I’m so happy it didn’t get loose again.”
Read more about the Boston Marathon
- Evans Chebet defends his Boston Marathon men’s title after Eliud Kipchoge fades on Heartbreak Hill
- Kenya’s Hellen Obiri surges in last mile to capture women’s elite race in Boston Marathon
- ‘It was really surreal:’ How Emma Bates finished as top American in women’s field
- ‘Today was a tough day for me’: Eliud Kipchoge reflects on his sixth-place finish at the Boston Marathon
- Marcel Hug sets course record, Susannah Scaroni overcomes loose wheel in winning Boston Marathon wheelchair divisions
- Boston Marathon champion Hellen Obiri and daughter capture hearts with finish line greeting
- Ababel Yeshaneh fell during the Boston Marathon — but still finished fourth
Ethan Fuller can be reached at ethan.fuller@globe.com.