McFadden, Hug take Boston Marathon titles

The USA’s multiple Paralympic champion Tatyana McFadden wins her 15th Abbott World Marathon Majors event in four years. 19 Apr 2016
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Tatyana McFadden of the United States crosses the finish line to win the women's push rim wheelchair race during the 120th Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts.

Tatyana McFadden of the United States crosses the finish line to win the women's push rim wheelchair race during the 120th Boston Marathon in Boston, Massachusetts.

ⒸMaddie Meyer / Getty Images
By Abbott World Marathon Majors and IPC

The USA’s Tatyana McFadden and Swiss Marcel Hug opened the first Abbott World Marathon Majors Wheelchair Series with victory in the Boston Marathon on Monday (18 April).

Hug out -sprinted South Africa’s Ernst van Dyk and Australia’s Kurt Fearnley in a three-way, wheel-for-wheel dash for the line, while McFadden yet again dominated the women’s race to take her fourth successive Boston crown and her 15th victory over the last four years at an Abbott World Marathon Majors event.

It was a return to winning ways for McFadden who will be going for her fourth consecutive London Marathon title next Sunday (24 April). The US racer was defeated for the first time in four years when she lost to Japan’s Wakako Tsuchida in Tokyo earlier this year. But she made no mistake this time, cruising home to win by some 90 seconds in 1:42:16 and will come to Britain full of confidence again.

Speaking on social media, McFadden said: “I have the best family, friends, coach, teammates, and fans!!!! Today I raced my little heart out for the city Boston, Massachusetts. The city was electric today!! Thank you The Boston Marathon for another great year. What a great way to start the Abbott World Majors. Congratulations to everyone who crossed that finish line. Today was tough!!”

Tsuchida was third in Boston in 1:43:34, just four seconds adrift of Switzerland’s world champion Manuela Schär, who has finished behind McFadden in London for the last two years.

Hug will also be heading to London next weekend, as the Swiss star looks to reclaim the title he won in 2013. Hug, van Dyk and Fearnley all clocked 1:24:06 in Boston with Hug winning by a chair’s length as van Dyk got the runners-up place over his Australian opponent by the width of a wheel rim.

Britain’s six-time London Marathon champion, David Weir, was fourth, a position he will hope to change as he goes for a record seventh title next Sunday.

The Virgin Money London Marathon will be the next race of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Wheelchair Series.

More information is available at the Abbott World Marathon Majors website.