Kenyan Rotich Wins Women's Race In 119th Boston Marathon

Caroline Rotich has won the women's race at the Boston Marathon in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 24 minutes, 55 seconds.

It's the first Boston victory for the 30-year-old Kenyan. She finished fourth here in 2011.

Rotich outsprinted Ethiopians Mare Dibaba and Buzunesh Deba down Boylston Street to win by four seconds.

American Desiree Linden led for much of the women's race, and fellow U.S. Olympian Shalane Flanagan was also in the pack through the midpoint. But Flanagan dropped back around Mile 18, and Linden fell off the pace in the final miles as Rotich and Ethiopians Mare Dibaba and Buzunesh Deba pulled away.

With Deba, the runner-up last year, falling behind at the final turn onto Boylston Street, Rotich and Dibaba ran shoulder-to-shoulder for the final quarter-mile, switching places before Rotich kicked into the lead for her first Boston title. The 30-year-old Kenyan won in 2:24:55, with Deba another 6 seconds behind Dibaba.

Linden finished fourth, and Flanagan was ninth.

Two years after a pair of bombs tore through crowds at the finish line, killing three and wounding 260 more, the world's most prestigious marathon took a tentative step back toward normal.