Lelisa Desisa doesn't waste any time

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AP Photo/Elise AmendolaLelisa Desisa is the fourth Ethiopian to win Boston -- and the 24th East African in the past 26 years.

BOSTON -- Under ideal conditions, Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisa ran to a relatively slow win at the 117th Boston Marathon on Monday, utilizing a strong kick as he turned onto Hereford Street and pulled away from Micah Kogo of Kenya and fellow Ethiopian Gebre Gebremariam. The winning time was 2:10:22.

Kogo, who had broken the race open in the 24th mile with a 4:36 split, edged Gebremariam by a second in 2:10.27. American Jason Hartmann showed he can run well at Boston whether it's hot or cool, duplicating his fourth-place finish from last year in 2:12:12.

Defending champion Wesley Korir was fifth in 2:12:30 -- 10 seconds faster than he ran in 2012, when the temperature was 84 (30 degrees higher than Monday).

It was Desisa's second race at the 26.2-mile distance, and it earned him the $150,000 top prize and the traditional olive wreath. He is the fourth Ethiopian to win the race and the 24th East African to win in the past 26 years. 

Some 23,181 runners crossed the starting line in Hopkinton under sunny skies and 40-degree temperatures with negligible winds.

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