Top female contenders set for the 2026 Boston Marathon, led by Sharon Lokedi and deep U.S. field

A women’s race shaped by returning champions and established marathon winners

The 130th Boston Marathon will be run on Monday, April 20, 2026, with the women’s professional race anchored by returning champion Sharon Lokedi of Kenya. Lokedi enters the 2026 edition after winning the 2025 Boston Marathon in a course-record time of 2:17:22, a result that placed her among the fastest women ever on the Boston course.

Lokedi is joined by a cluster of international contenders with proven marathon credentials. Kenya’s Irine Cheptai, who has a personal best under 2:18, is slated to race, as is Ethiopia’s Worknesh Edesa, also a sub-2:18 performer. Ethiopia’s Bedatu Hirpa is included after winning major-city marathons in 2025, while Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot—an Olympic medalist on the track who later moved to the marathon—adds championship experience to the field.

Key international names to watch

• Sharon Lokedi (Kenya), defending Boston champion and 2025 course-record holder (2:17:22).
• Irine Cheptai (Kenya), established front-runner with a personal best faster than 2:18.
• Worknesh Edesa (Ethiopia), multiple-time marathon winner with a personal best faster than 2:18.
• Bedatu Hirpa (Ethiopia), a recent winner on the global marathon circuit.
• Vivian Cheruiyot (Kenya), a decorated track athlete who has transitioned to marathon racing.
• Calli Hauger-Thackery (Great Britain), coming off a strong 2025 season that included a top finish in Boston and wins later in the year.
• Mary Ngugi-Cooper (Kenya), a frequent top-10 finisher in Boston with a personal best of 2:19:25.

A large U.S. contingent targets an open-division breakthrough

The U.S. women’s group is set to be a central storyline, with multiple athletes arriving with recent national-team experience and fast times from major marathons. Among the Americans listed are Emily Sisson and Keira D’Amato, along with Jess McClain. Also included are Sara Hall, Annie Frisbie, Susanna Sullivan, and Erika Kemp.

Several Americans are scheduled to make their Boston debuts, including Megan Sailor—who trains in Boston with the B.A.A. High Performance Team—plus Natosha Rogers and Amanda Vestri.

Women’s wheelchair race returns a championship-caliber rivalry

The women’s wheelchair field is led by defending champion Susannah Scaroni of the United States, who won Boston in 2025 and previously captured the title in 2023. The 2026 lineup also includes Switzerland’s Catherine Debrunner and Manuela Schär, with Schär recognized as the Boston course record holder in the women’s wheelchair division. Great Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper and Japan’s Wakako Tsuchida are also slated to compete, reinforcing a field built around athletes with extensive Boston experience and multiple major-marathon wins.

The 2026 Boston Marathon will take place on April 20, 2026, continuing the event’s Patriots’ Day tradition in Massachusetts.