Caroline Rotich wins 2015 Boston Marathon in dramatic footrace up Boylston Street

Rounding the penultimate corner in the Boston Marathon, all that separated the top three women was a length of shoelace. In the end, Kenya’s Caroline Rotich managed to outlast Ethiopia’s Mare Dibaba and Buzunesh Deba — but not before a dramatic footrace up Boylston Street.

It was Rotich’s first win in a Big Six marathon (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City). Her victory marked the fifth straight by a Kenyan in the Boston Marathon women’s competition, and mind-boggling sixteenth of the past two decades.

The #BostonMarathon winners are Lelisa Desisa (men) and Caroline Rotich (women). http://t.co/EnKwTH49f4 pic.twitter.com/BaIF8s35S7

— CNN (@CNN) April 20, 2015

[fusion_title size=”4″]JUST ONE SECOND[/fusion_title]

As tight as this year’s race Boston Marathon was, it can’t compare to the 2009 edition. In the most exciting finish in the event’s storied history, Kenyan Salina Kosgei (2:32:16) broke the tape just one second ahead of Ethiopian Dire Tune (2:32:17).