By KYLE HIGHTOWER

BOSTON (AP) — Marcel Hug of Switzerland blitzed to the front of the field to win his eighth Boston Marathon wheelchair title, claiming the victory Monday in the 129th edition of the race in 1 hour, 21 minutes, 34 seconds.

The 39-year-old Hug crossed the finish line in downtown Boston to claim his fifth consecutive win in the race on the 50th anniversary of the first official wheelchair finisher in Boston. Daniel Romanchuk of the United States was second in 1:25:58, followed by Jetze Plat of the Netherlands in 1:30:16.

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Hug and Romanchuk broke from the field and stayed tight for about six miles. But Hug opened about a three-minute lead at the halfway mark and began to widen his advantage.

In the women’s race, Susannah Scaroni of the United States won her second Boston title, finishing in 1:35:20. Swiss athletes took the next two spots with Cathering Debrunner second in 1:37:26 and Manuela Schar third in 1:39:18.

Scaroni earned her first Boston title in 2023 but wasn’t able to defend it last year because of injury. This time she was dominant late, opening up a 40-second lead 18 miles in, breaking away from Debrunner.

The races came on a clear morning with start temperatures in the low 50s. It made for a much less eventful day for Hug, who last year recovered from a crash in the latter part of the race on his way to victory.

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