document: Out of the horn of Africa has emerged the most devastating and dominant group of marathon runners the world has seen . Or at least since the last time Ethiopia ventured from its athletic isolation and won three consecutive Olympic gold medals , putting its indelible stamp on the marathon . It appears to be happening again , a generation after Abebe Bikila ran barefoot through the darkened streets of Rome in 1960 to win the first of his two Olympic golds . Now it is Abebe Mekonnen , who was born the year Bikila won the 1964 Olympic Marathon in Tokyo and a nation named its baby boys after its hero . Mekonnen , a police lieutenant from Addis Ababa , made a furious rush with a mile to go , passing Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania and winning Monday 's Boston Marathon in 2 hours 9 minutes 6 seconds . Ikangaa was second in 2:09:56 . It was only the second time an African has won here . Ingrid Kristiansen of Norway easily won the women 's race in 2:24:33 after abandoning her attempt to break 2:20 . Kristiansen , the women 's marathon world record-holder , started fast but slowed markedly on a hot day . With temperatures in the high 60s during the Patriot 's Day race , it was about 20 degrees warmer than it was Sunday and all of last week . Still , Kristiansen finished 26th overall , believed to be the highest finish for a woman in this race . Joan Benoit Samuelson , who set a world record on this course in 1983 , was beset with physical problems that altered her stride at 11 miles , and she finished ninth among the women in 2:37:52 . It was the worst marathon performance of her career . It also was the first time Kristiansen had beaten Samuelson in a marathon . In an emotional news conference afterward , Samuelson , who won the first women 's Olympic marathon in 1984 at Los Angeles , tearfully conceded that she might have run her last marathon for some time . But the story of Monday 's 93rd Boston race was Mekonnen and his nation of 42 million , which has reemerged as a force to be reckoned with in marathon running . In two days , Ethiopian runners have won three major marathons . In Rotterdam on Sunday , Belayneh Dinsamo won in 2:08:39 . Dinsamo holds the world record of 2:06:50 , set last year on the same course . Also on Sunday , in the World Cup Marathon at Milan , Ethiopians finished 1-2 . Keleke Metaferia won in 2:10:28 , and Dereje Nedi was second in 2:10:36 . Ethiopia beat Italy for the World Cup team title with a second-string team . Nearly a dozen Ethiopian runners have been deployed around the world in this hectic two-week period of spring marathons . Two other Ethiopians were in Monday 's Boston race , placing ninth and 18th . And still another , Wodajo Bulti , who has run 2:08:44 , is one of the favorites in the London Marathon next Sunday . Ethiopia 's legacy to the world in the last decade has been one of drought , famine and ethnic civil war . More than 1 million people died in 1984-85 during a drought-caused famine . The plight of Ethiopians caught the imagination of the world and inspired rock musicians and others to organize benefit concerts . Because of internal disturbances , however , little of that aid ever reached the needy . Politically pro-Soviet , Ethiopia 's Marxist government ordered boycotts of the Olympic Games in 1976 , 1984 and 1988 . Had they not boycotted , at least three Ethiopian runners would have been among the favorites in the men 's marathon at Seoul . Despite its erratic participation , however , Ethiopia has a proud Olympic heritage , dating to 1956 . One of the marathon 's most enduring figures was Bikila , who won the marathon gold medal in 1960 and 1964 . Ethiopia also took the marathon gold in 1968 , when Mamo Wolde , 36 , won at altitude in Mexico City . It is the altitude at which the Ethiopians train that enhances their aerobic capacity . Much of the central part of the country is mountainous , ranging in altitude from 6,000 to 15,000 feet . It was the first time since 1963 that an Ethiopian had run at Boston and Mekonnen , 24 , made the most of it . He was among the pack of four African runners that led the 6,418 entrants race for 15 miles . At about mile 16 , Mekonnen and Ikangaa took off , running at first side by side , then with Ikangaa holding a slight lead . And they ran not as strangers , because Mekonnen had beaten Ikangaa in winning last year 's Tokyo Marathon . `` I know him very well as a runner , '' Mekonnen said through an interpreter . `` I knew that I should stay with him until the last -LRB- two miles -RRB- . He 's a good runner , but he does not have a good finish . '' Mekonnen and Kristiansen each earned $ 45,000 . John Treacy of Ireland , who was third behind Ikangaa here last year , was third again in 2:10:24 . `` I knew that they had gone out very hard , '' Treacy said of the blistering early pace . Until the halfway point , the men were on a 2:04 pace , dangerous in Monday 's heat . The pace got the best of Saimon Robert Haali of Tanzania , who led the race for five miles . He finished sixth . The women 's race had only one leader , Kristiansen . She , too , set an incredible early pace . For the first few miles , before the heat , Kristiansen was running at a 2:17 pace . By the 17th mile , she had added more than 20 seconds to her mile splits . By her own reckoning , it was at almost 16 miles that Kristiansen felt the heat . `` I decided to just win the race , '' she said . `` It was too hot to set the world record . '' Samuelson held on to second place and even ran comfortably until about 11 miles , when she came undone . `` I was prepared for hot weather and it certainly was hot , but the heat was n't my problem today , '' Samuelson said . `` I felt real easy the first 11 miles , I felt I was right in the groove . I was right where I wanted to be . `` Before I came to Boston , I had a lot of problems with my hip and my back . At about 11 miles , it went very quickly . I lost my stride from that point . Lisa Weidenbach went flying by me at that point . Marguerite -LRB- Buist -RRB- went shortly thereafter . I kept thinking I 'd pull it off . I did n't have the day I really wanted . I was duly humbled . '' Samuelson , who had knee surgery in February , continued to fade as her stride faltered and was beaten by three U.S. runners . It had been at least eight years since Samuelson was beaten in the marathon by an American . Buist , of New Zealand , was second in 2:29:04 . Kim Jones of Spokane , Wash. , was third in 2:29:34 . Weidenbach was fifth . `` It 's always difficult to be beaten by Americans when you are the American champion , '' Kristiansen said . `` The easiest way to be beaten is to drop out of a race . And she did n't . I think it 's great that she finished . '' Such compliments did little to placate Samuelson . In the postrace news conference , the private Samuelson was as emotional as she has ever been in public . Her voice broke several times . `` I 've run some very good races and I think I have some very good races left in me , '' she said . `` A lot of people are expecting me to say this is it . It 's not it . -LRB- But -RRB- I have been spending as much time in physical therapy as I have in training and I ca n't continue that . I think I need to take an indefinite rest . It could be a year , it could be five years . I just ca n't go on with my responsibilities as a wife and mother and spend this amount of time in physical therapy and training . I 'll just take a break . '' Samuelson , who holds the U.S. marathon record , said she will significantly decrease her training mileage and probably run shorter races . She said she will run an eight-kilometer event next month in Washington , D.C. `` I want everyone to know that it 's still there , '' Samuelson said , tears welling in her eyes . `` I will run again . I need to get beyond this problem . '' THEY 'VE GOT A LOCK ON THE MARATHON How Ethiopia 's marathoners have fared the last two days : Date Race Result Sunday Rotterdam Marathon Belayneh Dinsamo , 2:08:39 , first place Sunday Milan , Italy Keleke Metaferia , 2:10:28 , first place , Dereje Nedi , World Cup Marathon 2:10:36 , second place . Ethiopia wins team title Monday Boston Marathon Abebe Mekonnen , 2:09:06 , first place .
extractive_keyphrases: marathon runners abebe bikila dominant group ethiopia african runners consecutive olympic gold medals ingrid kristiansen race