BOSTON — Fourteen Kenyans and more than 600 police officers ran in this year's Boston Marathon, making Rodgers Rop feel right at home.
The Nairobi policeman coasted the last few miles to victory, even directing traffic on the way.
Rop has worked in law enforcement since 1998, although it doesn't keep him from the business of running.
"I run with the police," he said, "but I also help maintain law and order."
And on Monday, he maintained order in Boston.
In the most security-conscious race in the marathon's 106-year history, Rop put his country back on the victory stand for the 11th time in 12 years, leading a Kenyan sweep of the top four finishers and winning in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 2 seconds.
Margaret Okayo completed the sweep, pulling away from fellow Kenyan Catherine Ndereba in the final mile to win in a course record 2:20:43 and give Kenya its third consecutive women's title.
"Last year, I was not happy," said Rop, who finished third in the New York City Marathon last year but had never run Boston before. "Before running, I said, 'We have to reclaim our title.' It's become a tradition in Kenya to win Boston, so I had to try my level best to win."
Eight runners — all Kenyans — ran in the lead pack at the 19-mile mark, separated by four seconds. Three miles later, as the course turned past Chestnut Hill for the last long straightaway into Boston's Back Bay, it was a two-man race between Rop and Cheboiboch.
When Rop pulled away, he waved at his countryman to hurry. But Cheboiboch didn't have the energy and trailed by about 200 yards after 23 miles.
"Running alone is a bit tiring," Rop said. "I had to tell him to come on so we could push together."
The temperatures in the mid-50s were 20 degrees cooler than predicted. Low clouds limited TV coverage by grounding race helicopters several times and forcing cancellation of a fighter jet flyover before the race — one of many patriotic touches planned for the event that was last won by an American in 1983.
Red, white and blue lines marked the start and finish, Colonial re-enactors made an appearance and four, 90-by-45-foot flags were unfurled near the Copley Square finish line.
The race, in keeping with tradition, was run on the state's Patriots Day holiday, which took on added significance following the Sept. 11 attacks.
Also in evidence were the increased numbers of police, national guard and law enforcement from 40 federal, state and local agencies to guard the 26.2-mile course. Bomb-sniffing dogs, hazardous materials teams and radiation detectors were added or increased this year, and runners submitted information for background checks.
David Goggin, assistant secretary of public safety for Massachusetts, said there was "no suspicious activity whatsoever."
On the course, it was more of the same.
Kenyans had won the men's race for 10 consecutive years before Lee Bong-ju of South Korea ended the streak last year. But this year, the Kenyans were back in force, taking six of the top seven spots and nine of the top 13.
Fred Kiprop outsprinted Mbarak Hussein, the brother of three-time Boston champion Ibrahim Hussein, to finish third, 43 seconds behind the winner. Lee, the defending champion, was the top non-Kenyan again, but he was fifth after falling out of the lead pack by the 19-mile mark.
Keith Dowling, of Reston, Va., finished 15th and was the top American.
Rop and Okayo each won $80,000 for finishing first, while Okayo's course record was worth $25,000. The winners on the hilly Boston course were almost 3 1/2 minutes behind the world record of 2:05:38 set on a flatter and faster London course Sunday by Khalid Khannouchi.
Ndereba, running in her first marathon since setting the women's world record of 2:18:47 last year in Chicago, lost a sprint with Okayo in the final mile and finished 29 seconds back. She didn't seem disappointed despite failing to become the third consecutive woman — following Uta Pippig (1994-96) and Fatuma Roba ('97-99) — to win three Boston Marathons in a row.
"I just feel proud when I hear that national anthem being played," Ndereba said after she embraced Okayo. "And if it was not for me, it's for Margaret."
Ethiopia's Elfenesh Alemu was third, 5:18 behind Okayo. Jill Gaitenby, of Northampton, Mass., was the top U.S. woman for the second straight year, finishing 13th.
Ernst Van Dyk of South Africa won the men's wheelchair division in 1:23:19, and Edith Hunkeler of Switzerland took the women's wheelchair title in 1:45:57.