Two years after bombing, Boston Marathon runs ahead of penalty trial of bomber

With the dominance of African athletes again unchallenged, the 2015 Boston Marathon was wrapped up on Monday, less than two weeks after a federal jury found a 2013 Boston Marathon bomber guilty of all 30 charges.

Ethiopian runner Lelisa Desisa finished first in men's field on Monday's match, reclaiming the first prize two years after he first won in 2013, the same year as the signature event was struck by a twin deadly bombing attacks.

"Strong Boston!" Desisa shouted after he passed the finish line. Desisa later told reporters that he would keep the medal this year. He donated his medal to the city of Boston in 2013 after bombing attacks killed three people and severely wounded 264 more.

In the women's field, Caroline Rotich from Kenya led the match.

This year's marathon came after 21-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a Kyrgyzstan-born U.S. citizen, was found guilty of all 30 charges related to the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing attacks and the following killing of a police officer when on the run.

Because death penalty is involved as possible punishment in 17 counts of the 30 charges, the trial is due to move to the second phase on Tuesday, where jurors will weigh whether Tsarnaev should be executed or serve life sentence in prison.

In the penalty phase, jurors will be asked to weigh aggravating factors, such as the heinousness of the crime, against mitigating factors, such as his family and mental health history. Jurors will also need to take into consideration the relative youth of Tsarnaev when committing the crime.

Tsarnaev was 19 when carried out a twin deadly bombings with his older brother Tamerlan Tsarnaev at the crowded finishing line at the signature event of Boston Marathon on April 15, 2013. Three people were killed in the bombings and 264 more were severely injured.

Tamerlan Tsarnaev was killed in confrontation with the police.

Though Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty, from the beginning of the trial, his defense team focused on convincing the juror that he was under the influence of his dominant older brother, a defense tactic that was designed not to win the trial, but to avoid the death penalty.

Since the trial began on March 4, prosecutors have called 92 witnesses while the defense summoned only 4.

In the penalty phase, the defense team is expected to present mitigating factors which would put Tsarnaev as less culpable as his deceased brother. Details of Tsarnaev's family history are expected during the following phase, especially how Tsarnaev fell under the sway of his older brother after his divorced parents left America for Russia.

Meanwhile, prosecutors stressed in their closing arguments that Tsarnaev was a full and equal partner with the other suspect.

"There was nothing about this day that was a twist of fate. This was a cold, calculated terrorist act. This was intentional. It was bloodthirsty," said Assistant U.S. Attorney Aloke Chakravarty, depicting the attacks as a deliberate act to "punish America".

"He chose a day where there would be civilians on the sidewalk, and he and his brother targeted those civilians- men, women and children- because he wanted to make a point," said Chakravarty. " It was to tell America that 'We will not be terrorized by you anymore. We will terrorize you.'"

In the penalty phase, prosecutors are expected to flesh out details about the physical and emotional effects of the bombings on the victims. Endite