Boston Athletic Association names field of professional athletes for 2024 Boston 10K

The Boston Athletic Association announced Wednesday the professional fields for the 2024 Boston 10K, which will be held on Sunday, June 23.

American Olympic marathoners Emily Sisson and Clayton Young will race the new and enhanced course that features scenic views of the Charles River and finishes at Boston Common.

Making his American road racing debut is world-number one ranked road racer Sabastian Sawe, of Kenya, and returning is defending Boston Half champion Abel Kipchumba. 2024 Boston Marathon runner-up Sharon Lokedi and two-time Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat headline the women’s field, while Para Athletics Division winners Marko Cheseto Lemtukei, Atsbha Gebremeskel and Kelly Bruno will compete two months after finishing April’s marathon.

“The Boston 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital kicks off the summer running season,” said Jack Fleming, the president and CEO of the B.A.A. “We’re eager for participants to take on the new course, which will run along the Charles River, over two historic bridges, and across the Boston Marathon finish line before finishing at Boston Common. Leading the way are some of the fastest and most accomplished athletes to race 6.2 miles, some doing so as a tune-up for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”

Sisson and Young locked up their spots on Team USA’s Marathon roster in February, both finishing second in their respective women’s and men’s races. Sisson returns to the Boston 10K after placing second in 2022 and fourth in 2023, while this will be Young’s first B.A.A. event.

From Kenya are Lokedi and Kiplagat, racing in Boston two months after placing on the podium at the 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. Lokedi is currently the alternate for Kenya’s Olympic Marathon team, and Kiplagat has twice finished runner-up at the Boston 10K. Joining them among international competitors are last year’s Boston 10K second-place finisher Stacy Ndiwa (Kenya), Cherry Blossom 10 Mile champion Sarah Chelangat (Uganda), 2022 Beach to Beacon 10K winner Fantaye Belayneh (Ethiopia), and 2021 Olympic 10,000m sixth place finisher Irine Cheptai (Kenya). Mercy Chelangat, an NCAA Cross Country and 10,000m champion from Kenya, and 2022 Boston Half third-place finisher Hiwot Gebremaryam (Ethiopia) are entered as well.

From the USA is 2015 Boston Marathon champion Caroline Rotich, B.A.A. High-performance team member Abbey Wheeler, 2024 USA 15K third-place finisher Emily Durgin and former American 10,000m record holder and U.S. Olympian Molly Huddle.

The men’s international field is headlined by Sabastian Sawe, the top-ranked road racer in the world and the 2023 World Athletics Half Marathon champion. Sawe, of Kenya, has run 26:49 — fastest in the field — and will be making his American road racing debut.

From Kenya are Boston Half reigning champion Abel Kipchumba, 2023 Falmouth Road Race winner Wesley Kiptoo, and 17-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek. Also from Kenya is Alex Masai, third in 2023.

Beyond Clayton Young, American men on the starting line will include recent USA 25K national champion Diego Estrada, 1:00:02 half marathoner Teshome Mekonen, and B.A.A. High Performance Team member Josh Kalapos. Kalapos finished 17th at February’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon.

Hermin Garic returns in the men’s wheelchair division as a two-time defending champion, timing 22:44 last year. He’s joined by Michelle Wheeler, a top entrant in the women’s wheelchair division, who was runner-up last year.

In the Para Athletics Divisions, Brian Reynolds — who set a world record 41:09 at last year’s event for T61-64 Classification (lower-limb impairment) is back with sights on the podium again. Marko Cheseto Lemtukei and Kelly Bruno — each of whom won the T62-T64/T42-T44 Division at the 128th Boston Marathon — will compete, as well as Atsbha Gebremeskel, the two-time Boston Marathon T46 (upper limb impairment) Para Athletics Division champion. More than 25 athletes will participate in the Para Athletics Divisions and Adaptive Programs at this year’s Boston 10K. Nearly $20,000 — an event record — in prize awards are available to top-three finishers across Vision Impairment (T11-T13), Upper Limb Impairment (T45-T46), Lower Limb Impairment (T61-T64), Coordination Impairment (T35-T38) classifications.

The Boston 10K presented by Brigham and Women’s Hospital will be the second event of the 2024 B.A.A. Distance Medley, a year-long series featuring the Boston 5K (April), Boston 10K (June), and Boston Half (November). While open registration is sold out, limited spots are still available through Brigham and Women’s fundraising team.

posted Thursday May 23rd
by Jamy Pombo Sesselman