Michael Cannon, 50, was the top Springfield-based finisher in the Boston Marathon, which was held on Monday. Cannon finished in 3:19:47, nearly three minutes off his time in the Charlottesville Marathon in April 2007. Cannon finished upwards of 4,000th overall, but was near the top-200 in his age division.
Eight Springfield runners ran last year, but that number increased to 13 runners for the 112th marathon, considered one of the nation’s premier races.
Karen Courington, 29, was the top female finisher, getting a 3:23:03 overall time. The Lee grad and Air Force pilot finished as the 600th woman.
William Ewald, 48, Karen Dickerson, 22, and William Moran, 58, were the only runners to compete for a second straight year. Ewald ran a 3:38:10, while Dickerson posted a 3:43:06 and Moran, the oldest Springfield competitor, improved by running a 3:44:38.
Robert Cheruiyot, Kenyan’s first four-time winner, finished in 2:07:46, the sixth fastest time in the race’s 112-year history. The first American male finisher was 10th-place runner Nick Arciniaga of Rochester Hills, Mich., who finished in 2:16:13.
Dire Tune, 22, of Ethiopia, outkicked Alevtina Biktimirova to win the Boston Marathon by two seconds in the closest finish in the history of the women's race.
Prize money totaled $796,000, the highest ever guaranteed for a marathon.