Monday was a record-setting day for America's oldest and most prestigious marathon. Geoffrey Mutai ran the Boston Marathon in a blazingly fast time of two hours, three minutes, and two seconds, the fastest time in recorded human history. Blessed with ideal running conditions — temperatures in the high 40s, favorable wind, and low humidity — the 29-year old Kenyan smashed the Boston course record by more than three minutes. There's a catch, though. Because Boston's marathon route slopes downhill and is not circular enough, the International Association of Athletics Federation does not count it as an official course — so Mutai's time is not technically a world record. Here's a look at the Kenyan's historic race, by the numbers:
2 hours, 3 minutes, and 2 seconds
Mutai's record-breaking marathon time
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4 minutes, 41 seconds
Average per-mile pace that Mutai maintained over 26.2 miles
4
Number of seconds separating Mutai and the second-place finisher, Kenya's Moses Mosop. It was the seventh-closest finish in Boston Marathon history.
2 hours, 3 minutes, and 59 seconds
The previous record for a marathon, set by Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie at the 2008 Berlin Marathon. This still stands as the official mark.
2 hours, 4 minutes, and 55 seconds
Mutai's previous best Marathon time — last year in Rotterdam. He was the fastest marathoner in the world in 2010.
15 to 20
Speed, in miles per hour, of the western tailwinds during Monday's marathon. Those gusts created unusually favorable conditions for runners.
$150,000
Prize money Muttai gets for winning the marathon
$75,000
Additional prize money Muttai will receive — $25,000 for breaking the course record and $50,000 for breaking the (unofficial) world record
2 hours, 22 minutes, and 36 seconds
The winning time for women, run by fellow Kenyan Caroline Kilel
18
Number of Boston Marathons won by Kenyans, out of the last 21
1983
The last year an American man (Greg Meyer) won the Boston Marathon
1985
The last year an American woman (Lisa Larsen Weidenbach) won the Boston Marathon
1897
Year the Boston Marathon was first run
2 hours, 55 minutes, 10 seconds
Winning time of American John J. McDermott that year
Sources: Reuters, New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, Fox Sports
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