Running News Daily

Strongest Women’s Field in the race history at Boston Marathon 2024

The 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America will feature the strongest women’s field in race history, led by defending champions Hellen Obiri and Susannah Scaroni. A total of 19 women with personal bests under 2:23:00 will line up in Hopkinton aiming to earn the Open Division crown, including Olympians, Abbott World Marathon Majors winners, and national stars. In the Wheelchair and Para Athletics Divisions, Paralympic hopefuls from around the world are set to compete.

“The Boston Marathon is proud to showcase the world’s best athletes year in and year out on Patriots’ Day,” said Jack Fleming, President and CEO of the Boston Athletic Association. “This year’s women’s field is exceptionally fast and showcases many who’ve been podium finishers on the global stage. It’ll make for an exciting race from Hopkinton to Boston, and we look forward to crowning our champions on April 15.”

Women from 20 countries will be competing as part of the Bank of America Professional Athlete Team.

“Each year, the Boston Marathon sets the bar higher with an unbelievable level of athletic talent, and its impact on communities around the world,” said David Tyrie, chief digital officer and chief marketing officer, Bank of America. “The 128th Boston Marathon builds on a rich history and will continue to be an inspiration for all athletes.”

HELLEN OBIRI SET TO DEFEND OPEN DIVISION TITLE

Hellen Obiri, a two-time Olympic silver medalist from Kenya now living in Colorado, won the 2023 Boston Marathon thanks to a perfectly-timed sprint in the final mile. Adding to her trophy case, Obiri also took home the 2023 B.A.A. 10K title in June and the TCS New York City Marathon crown in November.

“I am excited to return to the 2024 Boston Marathon to try to defend my title,” said Obiri, who finished last year’s race in 2:21:38. “Boston is an historic race and I would like to add my name further to its history on April 15. Winning such an historic marathon with my family waiting at the finish line was an amazing experience.”

A trifecta of Ethiopians with lifetime bests under 2:18:00 will take to the Boston course. Worknesh Degefa, the 2019 Boston Marathon champion, returns, while 2:17:36 marathoner Tadu Teshome will make her Boston debut and Hiwot Gebremaryam aims to improve upon her eighth-place finish last year. Also from Ethiopia is World championships medalist Senbere Teferi; she won the 2022 B.A.A. 5K in a course record 14:49 and has shown talent at the longer distances. Experienced marathoner Ababel Yeshaneh –second in 2022 and fourth in 2023— will try to become the seventh woman from Ethiopia to win the olive wreath in Boston.

Joining Obiri from Kenya are 2022 World Athletics Championships Marathon silver medalist Judith Korir; two-time Boston Marathon winner Edna Kiplagat; four-time top-ten finisher Mary Ngugi-Cooper; and 2022 TCS New York City Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi. Helah Kiprop, who holds a silver medal in the marathon from the 2015 World Athletics Championships and has earned wins in Tokyo, Copenhagen, and Paris, makes her second career Boston start. From Morocco is 2023 World Athletics Championships Marathon bronze medalist Fatima Gardadi.

Desiree Linden leads the American contingent six years after winning the 2018 title. Linden has finished in the top-five five times, and holds the third fastest time by an American ever on the Hopkinton-to-Boston route (2:22:38). Linden will run her fifth U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in February. Joining her is Emma Bates who finished fifth last year in the second-fastest time ever by an American woman at Boston (2:22:10).

“At this point in my career it’s an easy decision to return to the Boston Marathon and make it my top priority race of the spring,” said Linden. “I can’t wait to take on the iconic course for an 11th time and have the opportunity to mix it up with some of the best runners in the world.” 

128TH BOSTON MARATHON PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S FIELDS

 Women’s Open Division

Country

Personal Best

Worknesh Degefa

ETH

2:15:51 (Valencia, 2023)

Tadu Teshome

ETH

2:17:36 (Valencia, 2022)

Hiwot Gebremaryam

ETH

2:17:59 (Valencia, 2023)

Judith Korir

KEN

2:18:20 (Eugene, 2022)

Meseret Belete

ETH

2:18:21 (Amsterdam, 2023)

Tiruye Mesfin

ETH

2:18:47 (Valencia, 2022)

Worknesh Edesa

ETH

2:18:51 (Berlin, 2022)

Zeineba Yimer

ETH

2:19:07 (Berlin 2023)

Senbere Teferi

ETH

2:19:21 (Berlin, 2023)

Dera Dida

ETH

2:19:24 (Berlin, 2023)

Edna Kiplagat

KEN

2:19:50 (London, 2012)*

Mary Ngugi-Cooper

KEN

2:20:22 (London, 2022)

Nazret Weldu Gebrehiwet

ERI

2:20:29 (Eugene) NR

Ababel Yeshaneh

ETH

2:20:51 (Chicago, 2019)

Vibian Chepkirui

KEN

2:20:59 (Vienna, 2022)

Helah Kiprop

KEN

2:21:27 (Tokyo, 2016)

Hellen Obiri

KEN

2:21:38 (Boston, 2023)

Emma Bates

USA

2:22:10 (Boston, 2023)

Desiree Linden

USA

2:22:38 (Boston, 2011)*

Buze Diriba

ETH

2:23:11 (Toronto, 2023)

Sharon Lokedi

KEN

2:23:23 (New York City, 2022)

Malindi Elmore

CAN

2:23:30 (Berlin, 2023)*

Fatima Gardadi

MOR

2:24:12 (Xiamen, 2024)

Angie Orjuela

COL

2:25:35 (Berlin, 2023) NR

Fabienne Konigstein

GER

2:25:48 (Hamburg, 2023)

Jackie Gaughan

USA

2:27:08 (Berlin, 2023)

Dominique Scott

RSA

2:27:31 (Chicago, 2023)

Grace Kahura

KEN

2:29:00 (Sacramento, 2023)

Katie Kellner

USA

2:32:48 (Berlin, 2023)

Briana Boehmer

USA

2:33:20 (Sacramento, 2021)

Dylan Hassett

IRL

2:33:25 (Pulford, 2021)

Parley Hannan

USA

2:33:43 (Carmel, 2023)

Sara Lopez

USA

2:33:48 (Eugene, 2023)

Annie Heffernan

USA

2:34:33 (Lowell, 2023)

Nera Jareb

AUS

2:35:00 (Queensland, 2022)*

Johanna Backlund

SWE

2:35:10 (Hamburg, 2019)

Argentina Valdepenas Cerna

MEX

2:35:34 (Chicago, 2022)*

Ariane Hendrix Roach

USA

2:35:39 (Sacramento, 2022)

Michelle Krezonoski

CAN

2:36:39 (Sacramento, 2022)

Shannon Smith

USA

2:36:43 (Columbus, 2023)

Caroline Williams

USA

2:37:01 (Sacramento, 2022)

Gina Rouse

USA

2:37:10 (Sacramento, 2023)*

Kim Krezonoski

CAN

2:37:20 (Sacramento, 2022)

Abigail Corrigan

USA

2:37:45 (Sacramento, 2023)

Marissa Lenger

USA

2:38:41 (Chicago, 2022)

Emilee Risteen

USA

2:38:46 (Duluth, 2023)

Isabelle Pickett

AUS

2:38:46 (Valencia, 2023)

Allie Hackett

USA

2:38:52 (Duluth, 2023

Mary Christensen

USA

2:38:55 (Big Bear, 2023)

Olivia Anger

USA

2:39:13 (Indianapolis, 2023)

April Lund

USA

2:39:23 (Houston, 2022)*

Sarah Short

AUS

2:39:51 (Valencia, 2023)

Maura Lemon

USA

2:40:30 (Valley Cottage, 2023)

Sarah Sibert

USA

2:40:31 (Philadelphia, 2022)

Lauren Ames

USA

2:40:34 (Valley Cottage, 2023)

Kassie Harmon

USA

2:41:48 (Utah Valley, 2023)*

Elizabeth Camy

USA

2:42:51 (Sacramento, 2022)*

Alexandra Niles

USA

2:43:23 (Hartford, 2022)*

Amber Morrison

USA

2:43:50 (Sacramento, 2022)*

Mindy Mammen

USA

2:44:01 (Duluth, 2023)*

Ziyang Liu

USA

2:44:56 (Eugene, 2023)*

*Denotes Masters Division (40+)

(01/10/2024) Views: 535 ⚡AMP

Rosemary Wanjiru keen on the global show after superb Tokyo performance

Fresh from winning the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, Rosemary Wanjiru hopes to be part of Team Kenya's win at the World Championships in Budapest in August.

Wanjiru won in a new personal best time of two hours, 16 minutes and 28 seconds ahead of Ethiopians Gamechu Tsehay (2:16:56) and Ashate Bekere (2:19:11) who were in second and third positions respectively.

Last year during the Berlin Marathon, Wanjiru ran the second fastest debut in the women’s marathon after clocking 2:18:00 to place second behind Ethiopia’s Tigist Asefa.

A seven-man strong pack went through 5km in 16:19 with Wanjiru enjoying the company of last year’s runner-up Ashete Bekere and her Ethiopian compatriots Tigist Abayechew, Worknesh Edesa and Gemechu, as well as Japan’s Mizuki Matsuda, through 10km in 32:34.

Japan’s woman-only national record-holder Mao Ichiyama, who ran 2:20:29 in Nagoya in 2020, had explained at the pre-event press conference that she fractured a rib in December and she dropped back at the 10km mark, running 23 seconds behind the leaders.

Matsuda was the next to lose touch but was still on a Japanese record pace as the speed picked up again, a sub-16:00 5km split taking the leaders to 15km in 48:32.

The women’s race was down to four by 20km, the tempo having eased slightly as Wanjiru, Edesa, Bekere and Gemechu reached that point in 1:04:44. Matsuda was just over a minute behind them, clocking 1:05:52.

The leading quartet remained together behind the two pacemakers through 25km in 1:21:07, but a few kilometers later that group of four, led by Wanjiru, decided to leave the pacers behind.

The tempo had slipped to 2:17 pace at 30km, covering it in 1:37:25, but Wanjiru and Gemechu forged ahead over the next couple of kilometers.

Wanjiru was running solo by 39km but upped her pace to a projected 2:16:20 finish passing the 40km mark in 2:09:14 and a 19-second lead over Gemechu.

Wanjiru continued to glance over her shoulder during the closing kilometre but she had nothing to worry about and she crossed the finish line well clear, evidently elated with her victory and big 2:16:28 PB.

In the men's category, it was a clean sweep for the Ethiopians with the first Kenyan Titus Kipruto finishing fourth in 2:05:32.

It was an Ethiopian clean sweep of the podium positions with Deso Gelmisa winning  in 2:05:22 with Mohammed Ese finishing second in a similar time as Tsegaye Getachew rounded off the podium in 2:05:25

 

(03/07/2023) Views: 666 ⚡AMP
by William Njuguna

Wanjiru and Gelmisa triumph in Tokyo Marathon

Rosemary Wanjiru surged to No.6 on the women’s world marathon all-time list, while Deso Gelmisa prevailed in a men’s race sprint finish at the Tokyo Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (5).

Kenya’s Wanjiru ran 2:16:28 for the seventh-fastest women’s marathon performance in history, winning by 28 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu who also dipped under 2:17, herself becoming just the eighth woman to ever achieve the feat. Gelmisa, meanwhile, held off a strong challenge from his compatriots Mohamed Esa and Tsegaye Getachew to lead an Ethiopian top three in 2:05:22.

Contesting the second marathon of her career after a 2:18:00 debut for the runner-up spot in Berlin last year, long-time Japan based Wanjiru was always among the leaders.

A seven-strong pack went through 5km in 16:19, Wanjiru running with last year’s runner-up Ashete Bekere and her Ethiopian compatriots Tigist Abayechew, Worknesh Edesa and Gemechu, as well as Japan’s Mizuki Matsuda, through 10km in in 32:34.

Japan’s woman-only national record-holder Mao Ichiyama, who ran 2:20:29 in Nagoya in 2020, had explained at the pre-event press conference that she fractured a rib in December and she dropped back by 10km, running 23 seconds behind the leaders.

Matsuda was the next to lose touch but was still on Japanese record pace as the speed picked up again, a sub-16:00 5km split taking the leaders to 15km in 48:32.

The women’s race was down to four by 20km, the tempo having eased slightly as Wanjiru, Edesa, Bekere and Gemechu reached that point in 1:04:44. Matsuda was just over a minute behind them, clocking 1:05:52.

The leading quartet remained together behind the two pacemakers through 25km in 1:21:07, but a few kilometres later that group of four, led by Wanjiru, decided to leave the pacers behind.

The tempo had slipped to 2:17 pace at 30km, reached in 1:37:25, but Wanjiru and Gemechu forged ahead over the next couple of kilometres.

Wanjiru was running solo by 39km but upped her pace to a projected 2:16:20 finish at the 40km mark, passed in 2:09:14, and she had a 19-second lead over Gemechu.

Wanjiru continued to glance over her shoulder during the closing kilometre but she had nothing to worry about and she crossed the finish line well clear, evidently elated with her victory and big 2:16:28 PB.Gemechu also broke 2:17, finishing 28 seconds back in 2:16:56, while Bekere was third in 2:19:11 and Edesa fourth in 2:20.13.

The 2016 Olympic 10,000m fifth-place finisher Betsy Saina, racing her first marathon as a US citizen and as a mother, worked her way through the field to finish fifth in a PB of 2:21:40, while Matsuda was sixth in 2:21:44 and the top 11 all dipped under 2:30. One week after finishing fourth in the Osaka Marathon in 2:23:15, Australia's Lisa Weightman clocked 2:31:42.In the men’s race, a huge group featuring all of the favourites was led through 5km in 14:45. The field started to break up as the pace picked up slightly, 10km reached in 29:21 and 15km in 44:03, but 30 runners remained together, the group spread by five seconds, as 20km was hit in 58:54.

Those 30 athletes remained on 2:04 pace through half way.

The tempo maintained through 25km in 1:13:45 and 30km in 1:28:39, with athletes at the back of the pack unable to stick with it.

Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita moved to the fore around 33km into the race and by 35km, reached in 1:43:47, the lead group was down to 12.

A group of six – Kenya’s Titus Kipruto and Canada’s Cameron Levins, plus Ethiopia’s Gelmisa, Getachew, Deme Tadu Abate and Esa – broke away by the final turnaround point at around 37km and Levins hit the front a short while later. He took the leaders through 40km in 1:58:54 but was unable to hold on as Gelmisa, Esa, Getachew and Kipruto started their surge for home.

Gelmisa, Esa and Getachew kicked again and in a three-way sprint to the finish it was last year's Paris Marathon winner Gelmisa who had the strongest finish.

Leaving himself just enough opportunity to celebrate on his approach to the tape, he won in 2:05:22, narrowly pipping Esa, who recorded the same time.

Getachew was three seconds back to complete an Ethiopian top three, while Kipruto finished fourth in 2:05:32.

In fifth, Levins took two seconds off the North American record, clocking 2:05:36 to improve a mark set by Khalid Khannouchi in London in 2002. Levins’ previous best had been the Canadian record of 2:07:09 he set when finishing fourth in last year’s World Championships marathon in Oregon.

Abate finished sixth in 2:05:38, while Yamashita was the leading Japanese finisher in a PB of 2:05:51 for seventh place as Japan’s Kenya Sonota also dipped under 2:06 and a total of 20 athletes went sub-2:10.

(03/05/2023) Views: 733 ⚡AMP

Koech, Wanjiru spearhead Team Kenya in Sunday's Tokyo race

Bernard Koech will lead a strong Kenyan contingent for the Tokyo Marathon this Sunday. 

Koech, who has a personal best of 2:04:09 set at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2021, where he finished second.

Kenya's Mike Kipruto Boit, Brimin Misoi and Vincent Raimoi are also contenders for the title.

The Kenyan quarter will, however, face a stern test from 2021 London Marathon champion Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia.

Lemma won the London Marathon in 2:04:01 and will have compatriots Tsegaye Getachew, Mohamed Esa, and Deme Tadu Abate for the company as he seeks to add another feather to his hat. 

Getachew has a personal best of 2:04:49 posted while winning the Amsterdam Marathon last year while Esa's PB is 2:05:05 recorded while placing fifth in Amsterdam in  2022. Abate's PB of 2:06:28 was achieved in Berlin, where he placed third last year.

Japan had entered the last three national record holders, Kengo Suzuki, Suguru Osako and Yuta Shitara but the withdrawal of Suzuki last month leaves two to battle for the honours. 

Osako is the fastest Japanese man in the field with a 2:05:29 set in Tokyo three years ago. 

Hidekazu Hijikata, Kyohei Hosoya, Ryu Takaku and Hiroto Inoue have all run 2:06 and another nine Japanese men on the list have run 2:07.

At the pre-race press conference, Japan's most consistent marathoner over the last few years, Hosoya said he is in great shape and will be going for the Japanese NR and at a minimum the top Japanese spot.

In the women's category, Rosemary Wanjiru will spearhead Kenya's quest for glory in the Japanese capital.

Wanjiru has a personal best of 2:18:00 posted when she finished second in the Berlin Marathon last year.

She will have fellow Kenyan and 2022 Toronto Marathon champion Antonina Kwambai for the company. Another Kenyan Betsy Saina will be among the athletes to watch. Saina is back from maternity leave and ran a promising 1:08:25 for the win at the Seville Half Marathon earlier this year.

Ashete Bekere of Ethiopia is the race favourite with a personal best time of 2:17:58 when finishing second at the event in 2021.

Others to look out for the title include compatriots Tigist Abaychew and Worknesh Edesa.

(03/04/2023) Views: 1,037 ⚡AMP
by William Njuguna

The top four women were inside the course record at the Lanzhou Marathon Sunday

Ethiopia’s Worknesh Edesa beat the hot weather and a loaded field to break the women’s course record at the Bank of Lanzhou Cup Lanzhou International Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on Sunday June 2. 

The top four finishers in the women’s race all finished inside the previous course record of 2:31:22 set by Kenya’s Nguriatukei Rael Kiyara in 2015. The 26-year-old Edesa, whose 2:21:05 PB from Dubai earlier this year made her the fastest entrant for Lanzhou, lived up to expectations as she broke the tape in style in 2:30:22.

The race started under cloudy weather conditions but the sun came out about an hour after the gun and the temperature rose rapidly. A group of eight runners led the race to 15km in 53:31, 25km in 1:29:08 and 30km in 1:47:29.

After 35km, the pack was soon whittled down to just four runners: Edesa, Gutemi Shone, Sifan Melaku and Fantu Jimma. Edesa waited for another four kilometres before launching her powerful surge to pull away from the others.

Although the temperature reached as high as 26C, the in-form Ethiopian kept widening the gap and went on to win in 2:30:22. It was Edesa’s first marathon victory since winning the 2016 Xiamen Marathon in 2:24:04.

Edesa’s compatriot Shone, winner of this year’s Seville Marathon with a PB of 2:23:32, finished second in 2:30:40, while the 31-year-old Jimma, winner of this year’s Wuhan Marathon, lagged nine seconds further behind to complete the Ethiopian podium sweep.

Kenya’s Justus Kimutai upset a strong Ethiopian contingent to win the men’s race in 2:11:47.

Ethiopian runners filled the next six positions with Gizachew Hailu finishing second in 2:12:05 and Afewerk Mesfin third in 2:14:10.

The race saw a crowded leading group in the opening five kilometres and before they went through the 10km water station China’s Guan Yousheng was the first to drop back.

Ethiopia’s Bira Seboka, a 24-year-old with a PB of 2:08:51, made his bold early charge after reaching 20km in 1:03:01. Seboka built an advantage of some 15 seconds at 25km but was later swallowed by the chasers near 28km.

A new leading pack of seven runners paced the race for another five kilometres before the 26-year-old Kimutai, who was running for the first time on the Chinese soil, started his charge.

This time only Hailu and Mesfin managed to keep up with Kimutai’s pace. But the 26-year-old Mesfin, who set a course record of 2:09:49 in Chongqing in 2017 and improved his career best to 2:09:08 in Xiamen five months ago, had to drop behind near the 35km tables.

Kimutai then kept pressing ahead and finally notched the sole lead after 38km. When he reached 40km in 2:05:17, the Kenyan was 11 seconds ahead of the 21-year-old Hailu.

Kimutai’s winning time of 2:11:47 was more than one-and-a-half minutes shy of the 2:10:10 course record set by Ethiopian Abayneh Ayele in 2015.

(06/02/2019) Views: 2,158 ⚡AMP
by IAAF

Ethiopian Worknesh Edesa will headline the women field at Lanzhou

The women’s course record of 2:31:22 set by Kenya’s Nguriatukei Rael Kiyara four years ago will  face serious threat.

Worknesh Edesa of Ethiopia improved her PB by nearly three minutes to 2:21:05 in Dubai this January to make her the fastest woman on paper. Since her marathon debut in 2015, the 26-year-old Edesa has never finished outside of the top three in each marathon she’s contested. Even her slowest clocking of 2:31:06 set in 2015 is better than Kiyara’s Lanzhou record.

Edesa’s compatriot Gutemi Shone, 27, is another title contender. The former Ottawa and Seoul marathon winner recorded her career best of 2:23:32 in Houston four years ago and scored a 2:24:28 victory in Sevilla in February.

Fatuma Sado, also from Ethiopia, is the only woman in the field that has competed in Lanzhou before, clocking 2:38:39 to finish fifth in her previous outing in the western Chinese city. The 27-year-old has titles from Hamburg, Los Angeles, Xiamen, Beijing, Warsaw and Osaka on her CV and registered her PB of 2:24:16 from her third place finish in Toronto in 2015.

The 35-year-old veteran Aberu Mekuria is also known for her consistency with victories in Koln, Hengshui, Ottawa and Valencia to her name. Two month ago she added the Chongqing Marathon title to her title collection with a PB of 2:24:30.

Fantu Jimma, 31, will also arrive in Lanzhou with high spirits after taking the victory at the Wuhan Marathon in April. Her winning mark of 2:28:25 is some two minutes shy of her PB of 2:26:14 set in Dubai four years ago.

The field also includes Ethiopian duo Hiwot Gebrekidan, a 2:25:45 performer, and Sifan Melaku, who just improved her PB to 2:26:46 in Sevilla in February, as the women’s race is very likely to see a sweep of podium by Ethiopian runners.

(05/31/2019) Views: 2,140 ⚡AMP
by IAAF