Boston Marathon 2024 RECAP: Ethiopia's Sisay Lemma prevails in elite men's race 40 SECONDS ahead of closest competitor

Marathon day always brings plenty of highs and lows for amateur runners who push their bodies to the limit to get over the finish line.

It has been another grueling day over in Boston as thousands of competitors complete the 26.2-mile journey

Just hours after appearing at the Boston Marathon, Rob Gronkowski threw the first pitch at the Red Sox's game against the Guardians. And there was only one thing he was going to do...

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There is a back-to-back champion in the women's elite race as Kenya's Hellen Obiri prevails for the second straight year.

Obiri defended her crown in a time of 2:22:37, becoming the first consecutive winner since Catherine Ndereba in 2004 and 2005.

After getting over the finish line, Lemma collapsed to his feet in a mixture of relief, joy and exhaustion in Boston.

The 2021 London champion arrived in Boston with the fastest time in the field, becoming just the fourth person ever to break 2:02:00 when he won in Valencia last year.

And he showed it on the course, separating himself from the pack in the first three miles and opening a lead of more than half of a mile.

Here's footage of Lemma as he closed out a terrific run in front of hundreds of fans on Boylston Street

Ethiopian star Sisay Lemma has claimed victory in the elite men's race after crossing the finish line in just over two hours and six minutes, roughly 40 seconds ahead of his countryman Mohamed Esa in second.

The 128th Boston Marathon is now in full swing, with thousands of runners putting themselves through their paces in Massachussets.

Getting round the course will be the one of the toughest and most painful challenges of their lives, but that euphoric feeling of crossing the finish line will be worth it.

Hug and Rainbow-Cooper were all smiles as they showed off their winner's trophies in Boston this morning.

The pair completed the 26.2-mile wheelchair marathon in sensational times before posing together afterwards.

Hug righted himself after crashing into a barrier when he took a turn too fast and still coasted to a course record in the Boston Marathon on Monday, winning the men's wheelchair race for the sixth time.

The Swiss already had a four-minute lead about 18 miles in when reached the landmark firehouse turn in Newton, where the course heads onto Commonwealth Avenue on its way to Heartbreak Hill. He spilled into the fence, flipping sideways, but quickly restored himself.

He finished in 1 hour, 15 minutes, 33 seconds, breaking his previous record by 1:33 to win his 14th straight major marathon and his 24th overall.

It's a European affair in Boston so far with the first two winners of the day coming from Switzerland and the UK.

Britain's Eden Rainbow-Cooper came out on top in the women's wheelchair event in a time of 1:35:11, a victory which moved her to tears at the finish line.

We have our first competitor over the finish line!

Swiss Paralympian Marcel Hug has romped home in the men's wheelchair event in a course-record 1:15:34. What an effort.

It marks his sixth win at the Boston Marathon following on from successes in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2023

Runners in today's race will see a statue in honor of Spencer, the official dog of the Boston Marathon who passed away last year, on their way through the second mile.

Yesterday a number of Golden Retrievers also gathered in Boston Common wearing bandana's as a tribute to Spencer.

Former New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski is in attendance at today's race.

Gronkowski, who is serving as the event's Grand Marshal on Patriots' Day, acknowledged the crowd while making his way over to the finish line this morning.

'I just love the energy that Boston has — that the whole New England area has — and you are going to feel the energy here and along the course,' the ex-tight end said.

'I love giving back to the community — especially here in New England.'

The 2024 Boston Marathon is officially underway, with the men's wheelchair kicking off proceedings before the women's wheelchair (below).

There's not long to go now until the professional athletes cross the start line in the 128th version of the race.

This is the route 30,000 runners will be embarking on over in Boston throughout the day.

The race begins over in Hopkinton, before finishing over on Boylston Street.

Along the way competitors will go past Lake Cochituate, the Johnny Kelley statue, Boston College and Chestnut Hill reservoir.

The route also includes the famous Heartbreak Hill, a 0.4-mile ascent which provides one last grueling push for runners late on in the race.

Today's Boston Marathon will be broadcast live on ESPN 2 from 9am ET. It can also be streamed on the network's ESPN + service.

In Boston, local television channel WCVB will also be covering the race.

Before the first competitors get off the mark, Mayor Michelle Wu (left) and Governor Maura Healey (right) were among those who stopped to honor those lost and injured in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.

Family members of the victims joined Wu and Healey to lay wreaths at a memorial site on Boylston Street ahead of today's event.

Three people were killed and hundreds were injured when a pair of bombs detonated near the finish line 11 years ago.

The Navy Guard have already officially launched the 128th Boston Marathon, but here's the rest of today's start times in ET - with men's wheelchair participants up first.

• Military March - 6am
• Men's Wheelchair - 9:02am
• Women's Wheelchair - 9:05am
• Handcycles & Duos - 9:30am
• Professional Men - 9:37am
• Professional Women - 9:47am
• Para Athletics Division - 9:50am
• Wave 1 - 10:00am
• Wave 2 - 10:25am
• Wave 3 - 10:50am
• Wave 4 - 11:15am

Here's today's weather forecast over in Boston, with a cool morning expected before temperatures rise later on. And thankfully no rain!

A group of Massachusetts National Guard members crossed the start line at Hopkinton to officially begin this year's Boston Marathon on Patriots' Day.

Race Director Dave McGillivray sent the group of about 30 military members off shortly after 6am. Lt. Col. Paula Reichert Karsten, one of the marchers, said she wanted to be part of a 'quintessential Massachusetts event.'

Hopkinton is celebrating its 100th anniversary as the start line of the Boston Marathon. The start was moved from Ashland to Hopkinton in 1924 to make the race the official Olympic Marathon distance of 26.2 miles (42.1 kilometers).

Hello and welcome to Mail Sport's live coverage of today's Boston Marathon, with the 128th version of the annual race set to begin over in Massachusetts.

We'll be bringing you all the latest updates and developments as an estimated 30,000 runners take part in the grueling 26.2-mile slog, which promises to be a memorable one from start to finish.

So stay tuned throughout the day!