The Olympic marathon bronze medalist hopes to secure a hat-trick of back-to-back victories in Boston.
Helen Obiri is coming off a third straight title at this year’s Boston Marathon, but will face fierce competition.
The two-time world 5,000m champion, who also secured bronze in last summer’s Olympic marathon, clocked 2:21:38, her current personal best, and 2:22:27 in her two wins in the US city.
Two years ago, Obiri’s victory in Boston came in just the second race of his career at 26.2 miles; Kenya’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 just eight seconds in an equally pulsating finish.
Helen Obiri (Getty)
Obiri’s marathon record is seriously impressive, and since finishing sixth in New York three years ago, he has never failed to make the podium.
Only four women have won three consecutive Boston Marathon titles: Bobbi Gibb, Sarah May Berman, Uta Pipig and Fatuma Roba, so Obiri is also up against history.
His biggest rivals for the 2025 edition of the event are likely to come from Ethiopia.
Berriso, who nearly beat Obiri in Boston in 2023, is the reigning world marathon champion, clocking the fastest time this year at 2:14:58.
Amane Berriso, Gotitom Gebreslez, Kali Hauger-Tucker (Amazing Run)
The Ethiopian achieved that feat at the 2022 Valencia Marathon and is now fifth on the all-time list.
Compatriot Yalemzerf Yehualav won the 2022 London Marathon in a personal best of 2:17:23 and will also be one to watch.
Des Linden, the 2018 Boston Marathon champion, is making her 12th appearance at the event and leads the fastest US women’s contingent in Boston, including 14 athletes with personal bests of 2:26.
The leading British challenger comes from Callie Hauger-Tucker, who is second on the all-time UK marathon list behind Paula Radcliffe.
Sisay Lemma (David Hicks)
Sisay Lemma is a prominent name in the men’s field
Sisay Lemma will aim to retain his crown in Boston, but the challenge will be significant as five of last year’s top seven finishers return.
The Ethiopian boasts a personal best of 2:01:48 from Valencia two years ago, which puts him fourth on the all-time marathon list.
His win at last year’s Boston Marathon was just as incredible, with Lemma winning 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.
Then there’s no doubt that Lema will be fired in Boston, but winning won’t be easy.
Evans Chebet (River)
Two-time event winner Evans Chebet will be looking to improve on his third-place finish at last year’s edition and will therefore likely be one of the Ethiopian’s biggest rivals in Boston.
Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, who finished eighth and ninth respectively in the Olympic marathon, lead the way for the Americans.
Last year’s US Player of the Year CJ Albertson, who finished seventh, is back in Boston.
Zach Penning, Nathan Martin, Reid Fisher and Colin Benney, all of whom finished in the top ten at the US Olympic Marathon Trials, also compete in the event.
Marcel Hug (Getty)
Marcel Haag and Eden Rainbow-Cooper aim to retain wheelchair crowns
Marcel Haag is again the man to beat in the wheelchair division of the Boston Marathon.
Last year, the Swiss Silver Ball won his seventh title in a course record 1:15:33.
Rainbow-Cooper also became the first British woman to win the Boston Marathon since the race’s inception, finishing 1 minute 30 seconds ahead of a rival in 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 the race’s history.
In the five decades since, more than 1,880 wheelchair athletes have completed the race.
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