TOP US WOMEN RUN FOR 2026 BOSTON MARATHON
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission
(January 20) — The top US women in the marathon distance, including all six members of the 2024 Olympic and 2025 World Championships teams, plan to compete in the 2026 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20, Boston Athletic Association (BAA) officials announced today. So strong is Boston’s allure that a total of 13 American women with personal bests under 2:26:00 have decided to make Boston their spring marathon for 2026.
“The best of the best have crossed off the Boston Marathon on their calendar,” BAA Chief Operating Officer Mary Kate Shay said in a media release.
Leading the way for the Americans is national record holder Emily Sisson, 34, who will make her Boston Marathon debut (officials announced her participation last month). Sisson, a two-time Olympian who set a US record of 2:18:29 at the 2022 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, will be joined by her Paris 2024 teammates Fiona O’Keefe and Dakota Popen. O’Keefe, 27, who is the fastest American woman in the TCS New York City Marathon, will also run her first Boston Marathon. Popen, 30, has run Boston four times, with a personal best of 2:26:09 in 2025.
“The Boston Marathon has been a race I’ve been looking forward to for many years,” Sisson said in a statement. “I’m ready to take on the tough course and be a part of one of the legendary races in our sport.”
April 21, 2025
Boston, Massachusetts, USA, photo by Kevin Morris
Jess McClain of the 2025 World Championship team is Boston’s top returner. She was the first American woman in last year’s race with a personal best of 2:22:43, good for seventh place. McClain, 33, finished eighth at the world championships in Tokyo last September.
“2025 was my strongest racing year on the world stage between Boston and the World Championships marathon in September,” said McClain, who finished fourth in the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon. “I look forward to carrying that momentum and experience into the 130th Boston Marathon in April and will be working hard in the coming months.”
McClain will be joined in Tokyo by her teammates Susannah Sullivan (2:21:56 PB) and Erika Kemp (2:22:56). In Tokyo, Sullivan bravely ran alone at the front for 28 kilometers before being caught and eventually finishing fourth. Kemp had a difficult day in Tokyo. in hot and humid conditions he finished 52nd.
“The whole time I was at the front, I just kept reminding myself that they were going to come back,” Sullivan said shortly after the race. “You have to run your own race and you can’t panic.” He added: “When they passed, I held it together.”
Other top American women expected to compete include former national record holder Kyra D’Amato (2:19:12 PB), twelve-time national champion Sarah Hall (2:20:32), two-time half marathon winner Gary Bjorklund, Annie Frisby (2:23:21), 2020 USATF 6-K champion Amanda Vestry (2:25:40). Vestry made his marathon debut last November at the TCS New York City Marathon.
Eugene, Oregon, USA
July 15-26, 2022
Marathon Women Photo by Kevin Morris
Of course, as an Abbott World Marathon Majors event and a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, Boston will feature a top-notch international field, including reigning champion Sharon Locked of Kenya. Lockedi, 31, who was the 2018 NCAA 10,000m champion for the University of Kansas, won last year’s race in a two-way battle over two-time defending champion Helen Obiri. Lockedy, the fourth-place finisher at the 2024 Paris Olympics, ran a course record of 2:17:22 and earned $200,000 in prize money and record bonuses.
“I just tried to say, ‘stay strong and keep fighting,'” Lockedy told reporters after last year’s race. “Fight, fight, fight, fight.”
While Obiri is not in the elite Boston 2026 field, Lockedi will face a strong group of international women including Kenya’s Irene Cheptai (2:17:51 PB) and Lois Kemnung (2:18:24), Ethiopia’s Workenesh Edesa (2:17:55) and Bedatu Hirena Shawari (2:17:51) (2:18:03) and Romanian Joan Meli (2:18:04). In total, 11 athletes who broke 2:20:00 will compete in the race.
“The 130th edition of the Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America will offer unparalleled depth and a fight that will be exciting from start to finish,” Shay also said. “The strength of the American field, combined with the experience of the international field, sets the stage for a collision that could lead to records and sprint finishes at Boylston Street.”
Finally, reigning champion Susanna Scaroni will headline the professional wheelchair division. In 2025, he won the Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, New York and Sydney marathons, and was also the 2023 Boston champion.
The full elite women’s field for the 2026 Boston Marathon is shown below with personal best times:
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S DEPARTMENT –
Sharon Lokedi, KEN, 2:17:22 (Boston, 2025) CR:
Irine Cheptai, KEN, 2:17:51 (Chicago, 2024)
Workenesh Edesa, ETH, 2:17:55 (Hamburg, 2025)
Magdalena Shauri, TAN, 2:18:03 (Chicago, 2025) NR
Joan Melly, ROU, 2:18:04 (Seoul, 2022)
Loice Chemnung, KEN, 2:18:24 (Chicago, 2025)
Bedatu Hirpa, Eth, 2:18:27 (Dubai, 2025)
Emily Sisson, USA, 2:18:29 (Chicago, 2022) AR/NR
Vivian Cheruiyot (40+), KEN, 2:18:31 (London, 2018)
Kira D’Amato (40+), USA, 2:19:12 (Houston, 2022)
Mary Ngugi-Cooper, KEN, 2:19:26 (Chicago, 2025)
Sarah Hall (40+), USA, 2:20:32 (Chandler, 2020)
Gadise Mulu, ETH, 2:20:59 (Ljubljana, 2024)
Calli Hauger-Thackery, GBR, 2:21:24 (Berlin, 2024)
Fikrte Wereta, ETH, 2:21:32 (Seoul, 2024)
Susanna Sullivan, USA, 2:21:56 (Chicago, 2024)
Fiona O’Keefe, USA, 2:22:10 (Orlando, 2024)
Watch Use, JPN, 2:12:11 (Nogoya, 2025)
Jess McClain, USA, 2:22:43 (Boston, 2025)
Erica Kemp, USA, 2:22:56 (Houston, 2025)
Isobel Bath-Doyle, USA, 2:22:59 (Valencia, 2024)
Lisa Weightman (40+), USA, 2:23:15 (Osaka, 2023)
Annie Frisby, USA, 2:23:21 (Boston, 2025)
Natosha Rogers, USA, 2:23:28 (Chicago, 2025)
Mercy Cheganat, KEN, 2:23:33 (Otta, 2025)
Dakota Popen, USA, 2:24:20 (Chicago, 2025)
Gabby Rucker, USA, 2:24:29 (Chicago, 2024)
Leanne Pompeani, AUS, 2:24:53 (Nagoya, 2025)
Megan Saylor, USA, 2:25:17 (Sacramento, 2025)
Amanda Vestry, USA, 2:25:40 (NYC, 2025)
Paige Wood, USA, 2:26:02 (Sacramento, 2022)
Stephanie Bruce, USA, 2:27:47 (Chicago, 2019)
Mayday Dixon, USA, 2:28:57 (Sacramento, 2025)
KADI Kleven, USA, 2:29:18 (Sacramento, 2025)
Zaida Ramos, PER, 2:29:49 (Seville, 2024)
Elena Headey, USA, 2:30:51 (Duluth, 2023)
Kerry Ellwood, USA, 2:31:51 (Chicago, 2021)
Diana Bogantes, CRC, 2:32:08 (Valencia) NR
Katie Florio, USA, 2:32:44 (Philadelphia, 2024)
Katie Kellner, USA, 2:32:48 (Berlin, 2023)
Breanna Sieracki, USA, 2:32:53 (Sacramento, 2025)
Carolyn Buchanan, CAN, 2:32:54 (Sacramento, 2025)
Meitori, Uu, SA, 2:3,
Elizabeth Chikotas, USA, 2:33:57 (Sacramento, 2025)
Ava Crean, IRL, 2:34:12 (Dublin, 2025)
Abbie McNulty Bennie, USA, 2:34:53 (Boston, 2025)
Marte Maehlum-Johansen, NOR, 2:34:54 (Hamburg, 2025)
Megan O’Neill, USA, 2:34:55 (Duluth, 2024)
Maria Lindbergh (40+), USA, 2:34:59 (Chicago, 2025)
Felicia Pasadena, USA, 2:35:17 (NYC, 2025)
Madeline Block, USA, 2:36:28 (Sacramento, 2025)
Caitlin McGinley, USA, 2:37:12 (Lowell, 2025)
Katie McMenamin, USA, 2:37:20 (Jersey City, 2025)
Erin Del Giudice, USA, 2:37:36 (Duluth, 2025)
Teagan Robertson, CAN, 2:37:51 (Sacramento, 2024)
Emilee Risteen, USA, 2:38:46 (Duluth, 2023)
Elizabeth Reichert, USA, 2:38:49 (Sacramento, 2024)
Marissa Langer, USA, 2:38:51 (Valley Cottage, 2023)
Molly D Colwell, USA, 2:39:27 (Sacramento, 2024)
Cassandra de Winter, CAN, 2:39:52 (Victoria, 2025)
Hannah Olde Loohuis, NED, 2:40:39 (Amsterdam, 2025)
Leanne Klassen, CAN, 2:40:56 (Houston, 2025)
Karen Bertasso (40+), USA, 2:41:15 (Sacramento, 2025
Polly Cunes (40+), CAN, 2:41:27 (Chicago, 2025)
Marije Geurtsen (40+), NED, 2:42:45 (Berlin, 2019)
PROFESSIONAL WHEELCHAIR SECTION –
Susanna Scaroni, USA, 1:27:31 (Grandma’s, 2022)
Manuela Schar, SUI, 1:28:17 (Boston, 2017)
Tatiana McFadden, USA, 1:31:30 (Grandma’s, 2019)
Catherine Debrunner, SUI, 1:34:16 (Berlin, 2023)
Eden Rainbow-Cooper, GBR, 1:34:17 (Berlin, 2023)
Naomi Alphonse, USA, 1:35:14 (Grandma’s, 2022)
Christie Dawes, AUS, 1:37:12 (Boston, 2017)
Madison De Rosario, USA, 1:38:11 (Tokyo, 2021)
Wakako Tsuchida, JPN, 1:38:32 (Oita, 2001)
Vanessa Cristina de Souza, BRA, 1:43:22 (Boston, 2024)
Michelle Wheeler, USA, 1:45:45 (Oita, 2019)
Hoda Elshorbagy, ONE, 1:47:32 (Boston, 2024)
Emelia Perry, USA, 1:50:04 (Oita, 2025)
Patricia Echus, SUI, 1:40:22 (Boston, 2024)
Chelsea Stein, USA, 2:19:33 (Honolulu, 2023)
Rachel Cleaver, USA, 2:23:38 (Chicago, 2025)
