Boston Marathon 2026 Preview: The Deepest Elite Field in History

What to know

On Monday 20 April, 30,000 runners from 137 countries will line up in Hopkinton for the 130th Boston Marathon. The elite fields are stacked. The men's race features 16 athletes with personal bests under 2:06 and 24 under 2:07 — comfortably the deepest field in the race's history. The women's race has a defending course record holder facing a wave of sub-2:18 challengers.

Men's race

Defending champion John Korir of Kenya returns with a personal best of 2:02:24, set at the Valencia Marathon in December. But the fastest man in the field is Benson Kipruto (Kenya), whose 2:02:16 from the 2024 Tokyo Marathon edges Korir on paper. Kipruto is a former Boston winner (2021) who has since added victories at Chicago, Tokyo and the 2025 New York City Marathon — a man in the form of his life.

Tanzania's Alphonce Felix Simbu, the 2025 World Championships marathon gold medallist, finished second last year and will be looking to go one better. On the American side, Zouhair Talbi is one to watch after running 2:05:45 in Houston earlier this year to become the USA's third-fastest marathoner of all time. Last year's American top finishers Clayton Young and Ryan Ford also return.

Women's race

Sharon Lokedi of Kenya is the woman to beat. She broke the course record last year with 2:17:22 and has shown no signs of slowing down. Challengers include Kenya's Irine Cheptai, a former World Cross Country champion, Ethiopia's Workenesh Edesa (2025 Hamburg Marathon winner) and Bedatu Hirpa (2025 Dubai Marathon winner).

The strongest American contingent in years includes Emily Sisson, the North American record holder at 2:18:29, plus Jess McClain (2:22:43) and Annie Frisbie (2:23:21) who both impressed with top finishes in Boston last year.

The storylines

Beyond the podium battle, this year's Boston carries extra emotion. Des Linden, the 2018 champion who became the first American woman to win in over 30 years, will run her final professional marathon on the course that defined her career — just days after finishing third at the Marathon des Sables.

The 130th edition also falls 60 years after Bobbi Gibb became the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon unofficially in 1966, running without a bib number at a time when women were barred from entering. NASA astronaut Suni Williams, who became the first person to complete a marathon in space in 2007, will run the race in person this year.

Grand Marshal Jack Fultz won the 1976 edition in the infamous "Run for the Hoses" when temperatures approached 40°C.