Last April, Sharon Lokedi found herself dueling for the lead late in her first Boston Marathon. Knotted with fellow Kenyan Hellen Obiri in Kenmore Square, Obiri surged ahead as they passed Fenway Park, and opened up a lead she held until the finish line.

This year, Lokedi knew what to look for. In nearly the same spot, Obiri made the same move as last year, but Lokedi was ready.

“I’m not going to let her take it today from me,” said Lokedi.

Instead, she blocked Obiri and found her own kick. Already running at a record pace, Lokedi took a lead that increased over the last mile. In just her sixth major marathon, Lokedi won the women’s title over two-time defending champion Obiri with a course-record time of 2:17:22. In her first Boston Marathon, Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw finished third.

The three top women’s finishers all beat Buzunesh Deba’s 2014 course record of 2:19:59, with Lokedi beating the mark by 2:37.

“I think the pace was hot from the start,” said Lokedi. “I think that played out well, because it was like go, go, go.”

At the start of the race, Lokedi was happy to run in the pack. Ethiopian Rahma Tusa took an early lead, with Obiri and Amane Beriso bouncing ahead of her at moments. Beriso and Yehualaw made moves around the 11-mile mark, creating a lead pack of five runners that included Lokedi and Obiri.

That group soon fell to four as the race approached Newton, and Lokedi took the lead. At times, the runners setting the pace — Lokedi, Obiri, Yehualaw, and Beriso — ran four across.

“It was good to have us together,” said Lokedi. “We just tried to work together on the hills.”

Approaching Coolidge Corner, Lokedi gestured to Obiri to take the lead. It was not a surprise. The two are close, with Obiri using her Boston Marathon win last year to successfully lobby for Lokedi to be considered for Kenya’s 2024 Olympic team.

They talk about races often, with Lokedi admitting to asking Obiri prerace, “Where is Heartbreak Hill again?” With that familiarity, Lokedi wanted the chance to chase Obiri, who is known for a late kick honed during her track career.

Obiri didn’t accept Lokedi’s offer, and instead, Lokedi briefly found herself fighting Yehualaw for the lead. At Brookline’s Kent Street, Yehualaw fell off the pace, leaving Lokedi and Obiri to battle in the race’s final 2 miles.

As the duo crossed from Brookline into Boston, Lokedi motioned to Obiri, offering another opportunity to take the lead. Again, Obiri didn’t take it.

Neck-and-neck approaching Fenway Park, Obiri decided to strike. She strode forward, only to have Lokedi deny her. Running down Commonwealth Avenue, Lokedi created distance from Obiri, and it extended under the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge.

“Sharon seemed more strong toward the end,” said Obiri.

Lokedi took the left turn at Boylston Street all alone, and crossed the finish line in a time that took five minutes off her personal best set in Boston last year. Lokedi’s victory marked Kenya’s 17th women’s win at the Boston Marathon, and the fifth straight.

For Lokedi, winning her first major marathon title since 2022 in course-record time was an important confidence boost after finishing a disappointing ninth at November’s New York City Marathon. The pace was surprising, but given her training, maybe it shouldn’t have been.

“I focused on working on those last miles and being strong all the way through,” said Lokedi. “I just focused on getting faster and faster as I go.”

Kat Cornetta can be reached at [email protected].