Can Ethiopian Men Sweep the Podium?

Lelisa Desisa (Photo: Robert James Reese)
Lelisa Desisa (Photo: Robert James Reese)

Training group hopes to end Kenyan dominance.

By Roger Robinson

Kenyan men have won Boston 15 times since Ibrahim Hussein was the first in 1991. That dominance could take a major hit at the Boston Marathon on Monday, if a group of five talented Ethiopians perform up to their predictions.

“One-two-three-four, maybe,” said Lelisa Desisa (above) today with a confident laugh.

“We train together in Addis. We have our own strategies, yes, a race is a serious thing, but it helps to know each other, so we might work together to a certain point,” said Markos Geneti.

Deriba Merga and Gebre Gebremariam, both with the experience of victory and podium places in major American marathons, also seemed quietly confident.

“I expect a good result. Top four. I am as ready as when was third at Boston in 2011,” said Gebremariam. 

 Read more on Runners World.