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Boston, MA

Hellen Obiri defends her crown in the Boston Marathon women’s race

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Hellen Obiri defends her crown in the Boston Marathon women’s race


Defending champion Hellen Obiri of Kenya turned a controlled tactical race into a wild sprint to the finish in the women’s professional race during Monday’s 128th running of the BAA Boston Marathon.

Obiri broke the tape in 2:22:37 to become the sixth woman to win consecutive races and first since four-time Boston winner Catherine Ndereba of Kenya did it in 2004 and 2005.

“I was happy to defend my title and it was not an easy thing because I had strong ladies challenging there with me,” said Obiri. “I am the best coming to the one (last) mile so I tried to give everything, give my energy because anyone can win this.

“I tried to push in the final leg. When I crossed the finish line it was amazing to me, it was a memorable moment for me.”

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Obiri’s compatriot, Sharon Lokedi put in a game effort down the stretch and took second place in 2:22:45. Edna Kiplagat, 44, completed the Kenya sweep taking third in 2:23:41. She was also credited with finishing first in the Masters category. Kiplagat, the 2017 champion, competed in her seventh Boston Marathon.

“I would like to congratulate Hellen for defending her title and Sharon for coming second,” said Kiplagat. “It was an amazing race today and coming third was good for me. I am very happy because the field was so competitive.”

Obiri hopes her Boston victory will realize her ambition to represent Kenya in the marathon at the Summer Olympic Games in Paris. Obiri also lobbied from her bully pulpit at the winner’s podium to have Lokedi accompany her on the Athletics Kenya team.

“For me, I can say like in Kenya we don’t know yet and Sharon was there with me,” said Obiri. “For me I do hope I will be on the team with Sharon and the Paris course is even tougher than Boston. I think Kenya should consider Sharon and I for the team.”

Emma Bates of Boulder, Colo., who set the pace through the first two-thirds of the race, was the top American finisher for the second year in a row with a time of 2:27:14. Bates placed fifth last season with a time of 2:22:10.

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“I thought last year was crazy wild but this year surpassed that,” said Bates. “It was a nice day for the spectators but not so nice for the runners.”

Bates stuck with the race strategy that served her well in last year’s race by seizing the lead on the downhill from Hopkinton Center. The lead pack of over 20 runners regained contact with Bates before 2-mile marker as the women’s race evolved early into a group effort.

With such a large tight knot of runners, the race took on a more tactical aspect as the field made its way onto the Framingham Flats. Bates and compatriot Sara Hall of Flagstaff, Ariz., were side-by-side at the front of the pack and they enjoyed a boost of energy from the sidelines as they cruised past Wellesley College.

“I ended up leading most of the race and that wasn’t in the cards,” said Bates. “My coach had told me to go out and run your own race and just treat it as a long run with a little more pizzazz. But I found myself in the lead over and over again and when I would surge the rest of the pack would surge.”

Ethiopian favorite Tadu Teshome made a brief surge to the front on the flat stretch through Wellesley Center, but the pack remained larger than normal for that stage of the race. The field was spread out across the road on the decent into Lower Falls and slowly began to thin out on the swing onto Commonwealth Ave. at the Firehouse Turn.

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Bates made a push on the backside of Heartbreak Hill and opened a small lead on the large pack onto the final 10K stretch of the race. But the Kenyan troika of Obiri, Lokedi and Kiplagat seized total control on the Brookline Ave. stretch through Coolidge Corner.

Obiri and Lokedi were stride-for-stride in the race to Kenmore Square as the boisterous crowd lent its support to this epic battle of wills. Obiri let her track background takeover with a surge as they passed Fenway Park and Lokedi had no response.

“I was fun to compete with everyone in the field and Boston is not easy,” said Lokedi. “I am glad that we started well and finished well and getting a last push from Edna and Hellen was good.”

Eden Rainbow-Cooper, a 22-year-old upstart from Great Britain wearing bib No. 107, staged a competitive run in the wheelchair race with a winning time of 1:35:11, well ahead of her personal best 1:47:27. The victory was Rainbow-Cooper’s first Abbott Marathon Majors win. She also became the first wheelchair racer from England to win at Boston.

“My first marathon was just over two years ago so to have that much progression in a short amount of time is beyond my wildest dreams,” said Rainbow-Cooper.

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Boston, MA

Woman dies after medical episode at Boston nightclub, family says – The Boston Globe

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Woman dies after medical episode at Boston nightclub, family says – The Boston Globe


The club, in a statement posted on Instagram on Tuesday, said it was “deeply saddened” by Colon’s death and that employees at the nightclub rushed to her aid.

“Our staff responded immediately and called emergency services while an off-duty EMT rendered first aid,” it said. “We are cooperating fully with all inquiries from law enforcement and city officials who are reviewing this medical episode.”

When police arrived at the Warrenton Street venue, they found a person lying on the dance floor, unresponsive and without a pulse, according to an incident report. They began performing chest compressions with the help of a cashier at the club who said she worked as an EMT.

Police said in the report that the large crowd inside the club did not comply with orders to give space to emergency medical personnel. Eventually, officers ordered the club to shut down and told patrons to leave immediately.

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The woman, whose age was not disclosed, was then taken to Tufts Medical Center, police said.

Colon’s sister, Angelica Colon, wrote on social media Sunday that the club failed to immediately call 911 after being told about the medical emergency. She said only a few people at the club showed any “real concern,” while other patrons and staff “acted like nothing was happening.”

“My sister collapsed in the middle of the club,“ she wrote. ”I tried to lift her myself and couldn’t. I was screaming at the top of my lungs and was ignored. The music was only stopped for two minutes, then turned right back on — as if her life didn’t matter.”

Angelica Colon also couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday.

Anastaiya Colon, who was at the club to celebrate her sister Angelica’s birthday, had smoked before arriving and had “a few drinks” at the bar, according to the police report. Drug use was not suspected as a factor in the medical episode, according to the report.

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Angelica Colon said that, while her sister had a medical condition, “that does not excuse what happened.” She said in the post that she was considering legal action against the club’s owners.

“A business that refuses to act during a medical emergency does not deserve to operate,” she wrote. “If this could happen to my sister, it could happen to anyone.”

“She was the greatest mother to our son and her daughter,” Stackhouse wrote. “Wherever I fell, she compensated and gave me so much more grace than I deserve.”

Icon is operated by Pasha Entertainment, which also runs the nightclubs Venu and Hava, as well as prominent restaurants such as Ghost Light Tavern and Kava Neo-Taverna, according to the company’s website.

“Our thoughts and condolences are with the individual’s family and loved ones,” the club wrote.

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Last year, the city’ licensing board reviewed a 2023 incident at the club in which a woman was punched and thrown to the ground by another patron. Icon staff did not call police during the altercation, which the club’s director of security admitted was a “lapse in judgment.”

The woman who was punched later sued the club for overserving her attacker; Icon was ordered to pay $30,000 in damages, according to court records.


Camilo Fonseca can be reached at camilo.fonseca@globe.com. Follow him on X @fonseca_esq and on Instagram @camilo_fonseca.reports.





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Boston, MA

Green Line back open after closure to replace 1800s beams – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News

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Green Line back open after closure to replace 1800s beams – Boston News, Weather, Sports | WHDH 7News


BOSTON (WHDH) – Getting around the city was made easier Tuesday after the Green Line reopened after a two-week shutdown affecting all branches.

The MBTA needed the closure to replace underground beams dating back to the 19th century.

Service returned Tuesday on the B branch between North Station and Babcock, on the C and D lines from North Station to Kenmore, and North Station to Heath Street on the E branch.

(Copyright (c) 2025 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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Boston, MA

Red Sox outfielder, veteran leader signs with Seattle after four-season run in Boston

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Red Sox outfielder, veteran leader signs with Seattle after four-season run in Boston


After four seasons in which he emerged as a veteran leader and key bench player for the Red Sox, Rob Refsnyder’s time in Boston is over.

Refsnyder has signed a one-year contract with the Mariners, the club announced. According to a major league source, the deal will pay Refsnyder a base salary of $6.25 million in 2026. It also includes $250,000 in incentives.

Refsnyder, who turns 35 in May, was a journeyman utility player when he signed with the Red Sox as a minor league free agent in December 2021. Over the last four seasons, he found a home in Boston, where he mashed left-handed pitching and became an important clubhouse voice. Along with Trevor Story and Alex Bregman, Refsnyder helped form a core of older position players who helped the Sox navigate treacherous waters in the fallout of the Rafael Devers drama (and subsequent trade) over the summer. On the field, he was plenty productive, too, as he hit .269 with nine homers, 12 doubles and an .838 OPS in 70 games in his limited role in 2025.

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In 309 games over the past four seasons, Refsnyder hit .276 with 27 homers, 119 RBIs, 48 doubles and an .804 OPS while serving as one of the best hitters in baseball against left-handed pitching. In 2025, he posted a .302 average, .560 slugging percentage and .959 OPS against southpaws, pairing with Romy Gonzalez to form a potent pair of right-handed platoon options for Alex Cora. Refsnyder’s .596 slugging percentage against left-handed starters was the fourth-best mark in baseball. Since the start of 2021, Refsnyder ranks third in the majors in on-base percentage against lefties (.405) among players with 300 plate appearances.

Refsnyder expressed strong interest in returning to the Red Sox in 2026 but in recent weeks, the writing has been on the wall for his departure. There aren’t many at-bats to go around in Boston’s crowded outfield/designated hitter picture and recent comments from manager Alex Cora made it harder to see Refsnyder returning in his role. Specifically, the club wants Wilyer Abreu — a platoon player to this point in his career — to get regular starts against lefties in right field, a position where Refsnyder logged 21 starts in 2025. Cora also praised the athleticism of Nate Eaton, who may take over Refsnyder’s role as a versatile, younger and cheaper version in 2026. Eaton had a .673 OPS against lefties in 49 big league plate appearances last year but the Red Sox think there’s more in his right-handed bat. Kristian Campbell is expected to focus on outfield work in spring training, too, further crowding a group that includes Abreu, Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran and potentially Eaton and others.

The Mariners will be Refsnyder’s seventh major league team, joining the Yankees, Blue Jays, Rays and Twins. He had previously signed two deals to remain in Boston, agreeing to avoid arbitration at $1.2 million for 2023, then signing a $1.85 million extension for the 2024 season that included a $2 million option for 2025.



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