Winslow Townson/Associated Press

Kenya's Lawrence Cherono and Ethiopia's Worknesh Degefa won the men's and women's races, respectively, at Monday's running of the Boston Marathon. 

The top five finishers in both races were as follows:

Scott Fauble was the top United States finisher among the men, coming in seventh, while Desiree Linden crossed the finish line first among the American women, coming in fifth. 

The men's race was full of drama, as Cherono barely edged out Ethiopia's Lelisa Desisaf in a wild sprint to the finish. According to Cindy Boren of the Washington Post, it was the closest finish in the Boston Marathon since 1988.

Chereno is a six-time marathon winner, per ESPN.com, though he had never run the Boston Marathon before Monday. Desisaf, meanwhile, saw his bid for a third straight title in Boston upstaged by Cherono.

Per Boren, Cherono was so drained by the race that he required help to stand get up on the podium, though he noted he was "so happy, so grateful" for the win.

The women's race had less drama, as Degefa completely dominated the field, pulling ahead early and remaining in control for over 20 miles. 

There were also some famous athletes in the field Monday. The 1984 Olympic marathon gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, who won the Boston Marathon in 1979, finished the race.

NASCAR superstar Jimmie Johnson was also in the field.

"Training is a part of every racecar driver's life," Johnson told Boren. "Certainly, getting ready for a marathon is more than the normal event. There's just a lot of miles required."