In an exciting and inspirational race, Deena Kastor overcame an almost insurmountable lead to win the women's Olympic Marathon trials this weekend in Boston. Magdalena Lewy Boulet and Blake Russell placed second and third in the race, winning the other two coveted spots on the Olympic team. At age 50, 1984 Olympic Trials champion and Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson finished in 2:49:08, an American record for the women's 50-54 age group.

_{Deena Kastor crosses the finish line to win the U.S. Women's Olympic Marathon trials.}

The trials preceded today's 112th running of the Boston Marathon. The women's race was the closest women's finish in the history of the Boston Marathon, with Ethiopian Dire Tune edging out Russian Alevtina Biktimirova by just two seconds. In the men's race, Kenyan Robert Cheruiyot won his fourth Boston Marathon in 2:07:46, the sixth fastest in the history of the race.

• How to Qualify for the Boston Marathon
• 2008 Boston Marathon in Photos
• 2008 Boston Marathon Stories

_{Photo by Elsa/Getty Images}