If you’re running the Boston Marathon on April 16, a capable field that includes six past champions and 23 Olympians will be forging the way to Boylston Street for you, officials announced on Thursday.
John Hancock, the principal sponsor of the race, is charged with putting together the elite team of competitive athletes. This year, the previously announced American women’s field—including Shalane Flanagan, Jordan Hasay, Desiree Linden, and Molly Huddle—look to have a fair shot at ending a 33-year drought since the last time the U.S. saw a female champion (Lisa Rainsberger).
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Tom Grilk, executive officer of the Boston Athletic Association, called the professional athletes “a stunning collection of talent,” in a written statement.
“This international field, combined with the previously announced Americans and defending champions, will make for a very memorable race day with historic potential,” Grilk said.
In the women’s race, Edna Kiplagat, 38, of Kenya, will be defending her title, coming off of a busy year of racing since the 2017 Boston Marathon. Most recently she was fourth at the New York City Marathon, where Flanagan became the first American woman to win in 40 years. Kiplagat, whose 2:19:50 personal best is from the 2012 London Marathon, also won the silver medal at the 2017 world championships.
Eunice Kirwa, 33, originally from Kenya but competing for Bahrain, is the 2016 Olympic marathon silver medalist. That medal will likely be upgraded to gold following Jemima Sumgong’s failed drug test and subsequent four-year competition ban. Kirwa set her PR of 2:21:17 at the 2017 Nagoya Marathon in Japan. She will be joined by Aselefech Mergia, 32, from Ethiopia, who brings the fastest time to the field, 2:19:31, from the 2012 Dubai Marathon, which she’s won three times. Mergia also won the 2016 London Marathon.
Other women included in the international field to watch include two Ethiopians: Mamitu Daska, 34, who was third at the 2017 New York City Marathon and is a two-time winner of the Frankfurt Marathon, and Buzunesh Deba, 30, who owns the Boston Marathon women’s course record of 2:19:59, which she set in 2014. She placed 11th in New York this year in 2:32:01.
Caroline Rotich, the 2015 Boston winner, is back as well and Gladys Chesir, with a half marathon PR of 1:06:57, will take her first stab at the Boston course. The duo represents Kenya.
The American men, including Galen Rupp, Dathan Ritzenhein, Abdi Abdirahman, and Shadrack Biwott, will toe the line with nine Kenyan and Ethiopian men who tout personal bests under 2:07, including Geoffrey Kirui (Kenya), who won the 2017 Boston Marathon and the IAAF World Championships marathon. Of the Americans, Ritzenhein has the fastest personal best (2:07:47 at the 2012 Chicago Marathon), though Rupp, runner-up in Boston last year, won Chicago in 2017 and the 2016 Olympic marathon bronze.
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Lelisa Desisa, 27, of Ethiopia, is back again. He’s won Boston twice (2013 and 2015) and the 2013 world championships. Most recently he was third at the 2017 New York City Marathon after struggling through his participation in Nike’s Breaking2 experiment last spring. (He finished in 2:14:10.) Countryman Lemi Berhanu, 23, fourth in November in New York, won Boston in 2016 and has a 2:04:43 personal best time, set at the 2016 Dubai Marathon.
Don’t discount Ethiopian Tamirat Tola, 26, who starts with the fastest time in the field (2:04:11, at the 2017 Dubai Marathon) and won the 10,000-meter bronze medal at the 2016 Olympics.
Officials also announced that Tim Ritchie, who won the 2017 U.S. marathon championships in December at the California International Marathon, has been added to the American field, as well as Elkanah Kibet, who placed 16th at the 2017 world championships.
