The Boston Marathon line-ups have been announced and the 130th edition looks set to be a vintage year.
The headline in the women’s race is the return of Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi after her course record last year.
And while there’s been no American winner since 2018, this year will see arguably the deepest American contingent in race history, featuring 13 athletes who have run under 2:26.
For the men no fewer than eight of the top ten from 2025 return, including champion John Korir (Kenya), runner-up and 2025 world championships gold medalist Alphonce Felix Simbu (Tanzania), and third-placer Cybrian Kotut (Kenya).
The races take place on Patriots’ Day – Monday 20th April, read on for who will be there…
Women’s race
“The 130th edition of the Boston Marathon will feature unrivalled depth and head-to-head racing that’ll be exciting from start to finish,” said Mary Kate Shea, Chief Operating Officer at the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.).
“The strength of the American field, combined with the international field’s experience, is setting the stage for a clash that could result in records and sprint finishes on Boylston Street. The best of the best have circled the Boston Marathon on their calendar.”
The entire 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon team will be on the start line, including Emily Sisson, Fiona O’Keeffe, and Dakotah Popehn. Sisson is the national record holder in the marathon (2:18:29), and O’Keeffe is coming off a fourth place showing at the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon in November. Popehn set a lifetime best of 2:24:21 in finishing seventh at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon last October.
But no American woman has won the open division since Des Linden in 2018. Looking to continue the international trend of winners are Kenyans Lokedi, Irine Cheptai, and Vivian Cheruiyot, as well as Ethiopians Workenesh Edesa and Bedatu Hirpa.
Lokedi is coming off a course record 2:17:22 last year in Boston, while Cheptai placed fourth in 2:21:32. Cheruiyot finished fifth place in London last year, having transitioned to the marathon after winning four Olympic medals on the track. Edesa won the Sydney Marathon in 2024 and both Osaka and Hamburg in 2025, while Hirpa was the Paris and Dubai Marathon winner last year.
Men’s race
In addition to the one-two-three from last year, returning to Boston for the first time since 2023 is Kenya’s Benson Kipruto, winner of the 2021 Boston Marathon, 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 2024 Tokyo Marathon, and 2025 TCS New York City Marathon. Kipruto is the first person in history to win all three American Abbott World Marathon Major races and he also has an Olympic Marathon medal from the 2024 Paris Games.
“Boston holds a special place in my heart, as I won my first Major there in 2021 and have finished third twice,” said Kipruto. “I look forward to starting my 2026 season and racing a fast group of men in April.”
Additional international stars include Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, the 2021 Olympic silver medalist and 2024 TCS New York City Marathon winner, and Hailemaryam Kiros of Ethiopia, 2025 TCS Sydney Marathon champion.
Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu, the 2016 Boston Marathon champion, returns on the tenth anniversary of his 2:12:45 win. Back after top-ten finishes a year ago are Canada’s Rory Linkletter (sixth, 2:07:02) and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana (eighth, 2:07:19). Alex Masai, third at Chicago in 2025 in 2:04:37, will make his Boston debut.
In addition to previously announced American record holder Conner Mantz, a full cadre of US talent will toe the line in Hopkinton. Two-time Olympic medalist Galen Rupp, 2024 Olympic marathoner Clayton Young, 2:06:53 star Biya Simbassa, and Ryan Ford, the tenth-place finisher from 2025, will compete for the podium on Patriots’ Day.
“Running my first Boston Marathon a year ago was memorable, and the crowd support was unmatched spanning the entire route,” said Young. “The anticipation is already building towards Patriots’ Day 2026.”
