Korean man breaks Kenyan grip on Boston Marathon title

South Korean Bong-Ju Lee fought off a cold wind, a tested marathoner and an upstart runner yesterday to win the 105th Boston Marathon.

Meanwhile, Kenyan Catherine Ndereba took the women’s race for the second consecutive year.

Lee, a native of Seoul, broke a string of 10 consecutive victories by Kenyan men by completing the course in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 43 seconds — 24 seconds ahead of Ecuador’s Silvio Guerra and 46 seconds ahead of Kenya’s Joshua Chelang’a.

Ndereba dominated the women’s field with a winning time of 2:23:53, crossing the line nearly three minutes before second-place Malgorzata Sobanska of Poland. Russia’s Lyubov Morgunova finished in third, 36 seconds behind Sobanska.

By beating Guerra, who finished second in 1999, and Chelang’a, a cross country specialist running his first marathon, Lee became the first non-Kenyan to win the Marathon since Italy’s Gelindo Bordin in 1990 and the first Korean to win since Kee Yong-ham in 1950. He dedicated the victory to his father, who died a month ago.

Rod DeHaven, of Madison, Wis., finished in sixth place with a time of 2:12:41. The last time an American finished in the top 10 was in 1994, and the last American winner was Greg Meyer in 1983.

Ndereba’s win in the women’s race seemed to be a form of payback for her after she was left off the Kenyan Olympic team despite winning the 2000 Boston Marathon. She turned in the seventh-fastest women’s time ever and, by finishing 26th overall, registered the all-time highest overall finish for a woman.

South African Ernst Van Dyk took the men’s wheelchair race in 1:25:12, six minutes ahead of Switzerland’s Franz Nietlispach, a five-time champion. Another Swiss, Hanz Frei, came in third.

Four-time champion Australian Louise Souvage won the women’s wheelchair race in 1:53:54. She defeated Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland by just four seconds.

At the finish line in Copley Square, the scene was more akin to a mosh pit than a world-class sporting event, as spectators jockeyed for prime viewing positions. Near the finish line, the dense crush of humanity made movement impossible.

“I like seeing people around,” said Steven Osbourne, a 2000 graduate of Boston University. “I like seeing lots of people, so many people that you can’t move.” When his friends said they expected the crowd to be even larger, Osbourne responded, “Yeah, people are shorter than I remembered.”

“It’s exciting to be here, even if you don’t see the finish line,” said Debbie O’Brian, of Sharon.

The crowd shouted words of encouragement to each group of runners that rounded the corner onto Boylston Street, erupting into wild cheers when the first runners made their appearance.

Some fans rooted for their favorite runners.

“I’m pretty unhappy that we didn’t win the men’s, but at least we got the women’s,” said Kenyan Lisa Karunja, a Tufts University sophomore.

Draped in a Kenyan flag, Karunja said her nation’s dominance in distance running is taken for granted at home.

“The Olympics is more of a [big] deal. I think actually the problem is, people are getting too used to winning,” Karunja said.

As the marathon progressed, a steady stream of haggard, dazed runners made their way to the family greeting area behind the finish line clutching bags of juice, water and fruit provided by race organizers.

In the staging area, Jeff Tomaszewski of Jacksonville, Fla., embraced his father, Len, after completing his first Boston Marathon.

“It’s my first one, it feels great. I did my personal best today, so I’m really happy,” Tomaszewski said. Of the three marathons he has run, Tomaszewski said this one was the easiest.

“Actually, this one I thought was a little easier. I think because of all the spectators and all the great fans, it was a good run. There were people all along the way, and it just made your run a lot better,” Tomaszewski said.

“I’m really proud of him,” his father said. “It’s terrific, it’s his best time.”

Dave MacLenan of Scotchburg, Nova Scotia, said of his three Boston Marathons, today yielded the best time. Like many runners, he praised the crowd’s encouragement.

“It was a good day weather-wise,” MacLenan said. “It wasn’t really a strong head wind, but it was enough to keep you cool, and it was great to see all the people out. It’s amazing how many people [are] watching.”

The Boston Marathon is known as one of the most difficult because of its deceptively flat beginning leading up to a series of hills at the halfway mark.

Asked what made the marathon so challenging, five time marathon veteran Eric Beauchesne, of Chelmsford, said, “The hills. Not just the hills, but where they come in the race. … It’s more difficult, but the crowd’s great, so it was real good.”