Boston Marathon 2016 results: Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia is the women’s winner

Atsede Baysa has taken the 2016 Boston Marathon among elite women, winning the 120th iteration of the race and pocketing a cool $150,000 in prize money for her efforts. After 21 miles of running, the field was essentially down to Tirfi Tsegaye, from Ethiopia, Joyce Chepkirui of Kenya and Baysa, of Ethiopia.

After the full 26.2 miles were run though, it was Baysa who crossed the finish line first to get the victory. She posted an unofficial time of 2:29:19. This was her first Boston Marathon championship, and her first major win in such a marathon since she won in Chicago in 2012.

Unfortunately, fans were denied the pleasure of watching Caroline Rotich, the defending champion of the Boston Marathon, competing to her fullest. Rotich pulled up at the five-mile mark and was quickly left behind by the rest of the elite women. She sustained some kind of ankle injury, got it taped and was officially ruled out of the remainder of the marathon.

Rotich took the title in 2015 after separating herself in the final 100 yards, taking her first Boston title in 2:24:55.

Despite Rotich being the defending champion, Tsegaye was the popular upset pick going into the marathon. She finished fifth in Boston in 2015 after taking first in Dubai prior to that race. Tsegaye was leading around the 21-mile mark but it didn’t take long for Baysa to take hold of a lead that she wouldn’t relinquish.