BOSTON (AP) — The weather looks good, Sharon Lokedi is fit, and the fastest field in Boston Marathon history could push her to a second straight course record — if she decides to go for it.
A year after shattering the women’s mark by more than 2 1/2 minutes, the defending champion will head to the starting line in Hopkinton on Monday for the 130th edition of the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon. Reigning men’s champion and fellow Kenyan John Korir is also back to lead a field of more than 30,000 on the 26.2-mile (42.195-kilometer) race to Boston’s Copley Square.
Cool weather and an expected tailwind will greet them in Hopkinton — perhaps the ideal conditions for more fast times like last year, when Lokedi finished in 2 hours, 17 minutes, 22 seconds to break the 11-year-old course record and deprive runner-up Hellen Obiri of a third straight win. Korir's 2:04:45 was the third-fastest ever as he joined his brother to become a Boston Marathon champion.
“Last year was crazy fast, so I don’t know if it will be the same thing this year. But whichever one, I’m excited for,” Lokedi said this week as she prepared to defend her title. “You never know. I feel like that is always determined by when you get to the start line.”
Joining her there will be what is being called the strongest field in race history.
The entire men’s podium and seven of the top 10 finishers from last year are back, including runners with three of the top eight times in race history. Eight women in the field have run a sub-2:20 marathon — times that would have been a course record in Boston until a year ago.
“Yeah, it’s stacked,” American competitor Alex Maier said.
The Americans are showing their strength as well.
There are 12 U.S. men with personal bests below 2:10. Four — including 2017 Boston runner-up Galen Rupp and last year's seventh-place finisher, Clayton Young — have run 2:08 or faster; those would be Boston bests until Geoffrey Mutai's then-world best of 2:03:02 in 2011.
In the women's field, the entire U.S. marathon team from the 2024 Paris Olympics will be competing, along with two of the three American women who competed in last year’s world championships. In all, eight U.S. women have beaten 2:25 and three have personal bests below 2:22 — Emily Sisson, Sara Hall and Susanna Sullivan.
“American women’s marathoning is in a super special spot right now,” said Fiona O'Keefe, who won the 2024 U.S. marathon trials and finished fourth in New York last fall. “We have amazing veterans like Sara, who have been doing this forever, and then a younger crew coming up, too. So it’s fun to be in the middle of that, and I’m really excited to see what we collectively can do on Monday.”
Security on alert
FBI Special Agent in Charge in Boston Ted Docks said authorities are operating at a “heightened threat environment” because of the war in Iran. Docks stressed that there are no specific or credible threats against the race but asked spectators to remain on the lookout for suspicious activity.
Thirteen years after the that and , marathon runners and fans have grown accustomed to an increased security presence at the race.
Authorities gave the usual warnings for spectators to stay alert, and encouraged them to leave large items like backpacks and strollers at home to avoid the need for a search.
Several of the law enforcement officials at the pre-race security briefing said they are already planning for the other high-profile events scheduled for the Boston area this year, including soccer’s World Cup, the Sail Boston tall ships display and the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration.
Wheelchair contenders
Eight-time wheelchair champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland is going for another victory, which would put him one short of Ernst Van Dyk's all-category record of 10. (Clarence DeMar won the open division seven times from 1911-30.) Hug will be chased by two-time winner Daniel Romanchuk of Champaign, Illinois.
Defending women's wheelchair champion Susannah Scaroni is expecting a baby in August and not racing. Previous winners Manuela Schar of Switzerland, Tatyana McFadden of the United States and Eden Rainbow-Cooper of Britain are all in the field.
The race comes just a week after the , the father of wheelchair racing.
Right on Hereford, left on Boylston
Jess McClain, who was the top American woman last year, said she is happy with the resolution regarding last month. The Phoenix resident was ahead by a wide margin with about 1.5 miles to go when she and three other runners followed the guide vehicle on a wrong turn.
Track and field's international governing body — instead of the usual four — to compete at the world championships in Denmark.
“Rear view mirror,” she said this week. “I'll be in Copenhagen, so we're stoked.”
McClain finished seventh in her Boston debut last year, so she's familiar with the final zigzag through the Back Bay.
“I know my right and left turns,” she said with a laugh. “Thank God.”
Celebrities in the field
Astronaut Suni Williams, who first ran the race remotely , will make it to Hopkinton this time. Williams qualified for the 2007 race and signed up before finding out that she would be in space on Patriots’ Day.
Other celebrities in the field include former first daughter Chelsea Clinton, Dropkick Murphys guitarist Jeff DaRosa, Love Island winner Bryan Arenales and running comedian Laura Green.
Former athletes include two-time World Cup champion Kristine (Lilly) Heavey and former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, who will run for the third time after missing last year’s race with an injury. Ex-Boston Celtic Chris Herren is running for his drug addiction recovery charity.
Former champions Amby Burfoot (1968 men’s) and Des Linden (2018 women’s) will also retrace their steps.
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