The Olympic marathon bronze medallist is hoping to secure a hat-trick of consecutive wins in Boston
Hellen Obiri is gunning for a third consecutive title at this year’s Boston Marathon but will be up against fierce competition.
The double world 5000m champion, who also secured the bronze medal in last summer’s Olympic marathon, has clocked 2:21:38 – her current personal best – and 2:22:27 in her two wins in the US city.
Obiri’s victory in Boston two years ago came in just her second ever race over 26.2 miles – the Kenyan’s debut was the 2022 New York Marathon – and she beat Amane Beriso by just 12 seconds.
In last year’s edition, Obiri saw off compatriot Sharon Lokedi by only eight seconds in a similarly pulsating ending.
Hellen Obiri (Getty)
Obiri’s marathon record is seriously impressive and since finishing sixth in New York three years ago she has never failed to get on the podium.
Only four women have won three consecutive Boston Marathon titles – Bobbi Gibb, Sara Mae Berman, Uta Pippig, and Fatuma Roba – so Obiri is also up against history.
Her biggest challengers for the 2025 edition of the event will likely come from Ethiopia.
Beriso, who is the reining world marathon champion and nearly beat Obiri in Boston in 2023, has the fastest time in this year’s field with 2:14:58.
Amane Beriso, Gotytom Gebreslase, Calli Hauger-Thackery (Great Run)
The Ethiopian recorded that mark at the 2022 Valencia Marathon and is currently fifth on the all-time list.
Compatriot Yalemzerf Yehualaw won the 2022 London Marathon with a personal best of 2:17:23 and will also be one to watch.
Des Linden, who is the 2018 Boston Marathon champion, makes her 12th appearance at the event and headlines the fastest ever US women’s contingent assembled in Boston, including 14 athletes with sub-2:26 personal bests.
The leading British challenge comes from Calli Hauger-Thackery, who is second on the UK marathon all-time list behind Paula Radcliffe.
Sisay Lemma (David Hicks)
Sisay Lemma the standout name in men’s field
Sisay Lemma will be aiming to retain his crown in Boston but the challenge will be significant, with five of the top seven finishers from last year returning.
The Ethiopian boasts a personal best of 2:01:48 from Valencia two years ago, which ranks him fourth on the marathon all-time list.
His victory at last year’s Boston Marathon was equally as incredible, with Lemma triumphing by 41 seconds on the undulating course.
Lemma, who missed the Olympics due to injury, saw his replacement Tamirat Tola secure the gold medal in Paris.
There’s no doubt then that Lemma will be fired up for Boston but winning it will not be easy.
Evans Chebet (Getty)
Evans Chebet, a double winner of the event, will be keen to improve on his third place finish at last year’s edition and is therefore likely to be one of the Ethiopian’s biggest challengers in Boston.
Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who placed eighth and ninth in the Olympic marathon respectively, lead the American charge.
Last year’s best US finisher CJ Albertson – placed seventh overall – is back in Boston once again.
Zach Panning, Nathan Martin, Reed Fischer and Colin Bennie – all of whom finished in the top ten at the US Olympic marathon trials – are also entered in the event.
Marcel Hug (Getty)
Marcel Hug and Eden Rainbow-Cooper aim to retain wheelchair crowns
Marcel Hug is once again the man to beat in the wheelchair division at the Boston Marathon.
The “Swiss Silver Bullet” earned his seventh title in a course record of 1:15:33 last year.
Rainbow-Cooper also became the first British woman to win the Boston Marathon since the race’s inception, finishing a minute and 30 seconds ahead of the competition with 1:35:11.
This year’s edition will mark the 50th anniversary of Bob Hall’s pioneering 1975 finish, when the Massachusetts native became the first official wheelchair finisher in race history.
In the five decades since, more than 1880 wheelchair athletes have completed the race.
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