Originally published Monday, April 21, 2008 at 12:00 AM

Marathon | Kastor triumphs in Olympic trials

Magdalena Lewy Boulet was alone in front for the first 23 miles of Sunday's women's U.S. Olympic trials marathon. "Actually, for a moment...

By Seattle Times news services

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BOSTON — Magdalena Lewy Boulet was alone in front for the first 23 miles of Sunday's women's U.S. Olympic trials marathon.

"Actually, for a moment, I thought I was going to win the race," said Boulet, whose lead was nearly two minutes at 14 miles.

Deena Kastor of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., thought the same thing as she tried to push the pace in the chase pack but couldn't seem to gain ground. "There was a long set of miles in the middle of the race when I thought I might have misjudged it," Kastor said. "I was already succumbing to second place."

In the end, Boulet succumbed to fatigue and Kastor's closing speed on a flat, four-lap course the day before the Boston Marathon. Kastor won the race in 2 hours, 29 minutes, 35 seconds with Boulet of Oakland, Calif., second (2:30:19) and Blake Russell of Pacific Grove, Calif., third (2:32:40). They earned spots on the U.S. Olympic team for the Beijing Games in August.

Zoila Gomez of Alamosa, Colo., was fourth and will be the first alternate.

Gwen Greiner of Seattle was 51st in 2:44:25. Caryn Heffernan of Bothell was 71st in 2:46:25. Marlene Farrell of Leavenworth was 105th in 2:52:58

Kastor, 35, was second in the 2004 trials and won Olympic bronze in Athens. It was the first medal won by a U.S. woman in the event since Joan Samuelson's 1984 gold. The 50-year-old Samuelson finished 90th in Sunday's trials in 2:49:08.

Kenyan seeks fourth

win in Boston

BOSTON — Robert Cheruiyot, 29, will try to become the first Kenyan to win the Boston Marathon four times. He won in 2003, 2006 and 2007. But violence in Kenya has disrupted his training. Cheruiyot set the Boston record in 2006, 2:07:14.

Seven Boston champions will be competing, including Lidiya Grigoryeva and Rita Jeptoo, the last two women's victors. Margaret Okayo, who set the course record in 2002, withdrew.

Four-time Boston champion Bill Rodgers had hoped to run to celebrate turning 60. But he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December. Rodgers had surgery and was running in February.

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