Boston Marathon 2026: Kenyan Double as John Korir Enters All-Time Elite List as Sharon Lokedi Defends Title in Style

John Korir and Sharon Lokedi claimed top honours in the men’s and women’s races at the 2026 Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20.

The men’s race featured a strong field including John Korir and Alphonce Felix Simbu, among other dominant road runners.

The women’s field was equally competitive with the likes of Sharon Lokedi, who won the 2025 edition and the 2022 New York City Marathon, taking on Irine Cheptai and Vivian Cheruiyot among other runners.

The men’s full marathon began at a fast pace, with an American runner leading early through the 5km mark as Cj Albertson set the tempo at the front.

He was closely followed by Rory Linkletter and former champion Benson Kipruto, while other contenders including Milkesa Mengesha, Clayton Young, and defending champion John Korir also remained firmly in the lead pack.

By the 15km mark, the leading group was still tightly bunched, with Alex Maier briefly setting the pace ahead of Kipruto, Alphonce Simbu, and Ryan Ford among those staying in contention.

Significant changes came after the halfway point, when Ethiopia’s Lemi Berhanu surged to the front to control the race, with Korir tracking closely and Mengesha moving into third position.

Approaching the 25km mark, Mengesha had taken over the lead, with Berhanu settling into second as the race continued to intensify.

Passing the 30km mark, Milkesa Mengesha had now opened a gap between himself and the chasing pack. John Korir was leading the chasing pack, alongside Benson Kipruto, debutant Nicholas Kipkorir and Alphonse Simbu, among others.

Shortly after, John Korir moved into the lead as the runners approached the challenging Heartbreak Hill section, while Milkesa Mengesha began to show signs of fatigue after earlier efforts at the front.

Behind them, the chasing pack continued to work together in an attempt to close the gap and remain in contention as the race intensified.

At the same time, Benson Kipruto and Alphonce Simbu had managed to break away from the main group, creating separation and settling into a controlled rhythm as they maintained a comfortable pace ahead of the chasers.

John Korir continued to extend his lead, appearing composed and in control at the front of the race, while Benson Kipruto and reigning world champion Simbu maintained the chase in an effort to close the gap.

John Korir held on to secure victory at the Boston Marathon, producing a dominant performance to set a new course record in a winning time of 2:01:52.

The result saw him become the fifth-fastest marathon runner in history, breaking the previous course record of 2:03:02 set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011. Alphonce Simbu finished in second place in 02:02:47, while Benson Kipruto completed the podium in a time of 02:02:50.

Through the 5km mark, the women’s race was led by a tightly packed group featuring Kodi Kleven, Susanna Sullivan, Sarah Hall, and Mary Ngugi-Cooper as the early pace remained controlled.

By the 10km mark, little had changed at the front, although Irine Cheptai had moved comfortably into the leading pack, signalling a growing challenge among the frontrunners.

At 15km, Kleven still held a share of the lead, closely tracked by Dakotah Popehn, while Ngugi-Cooper and Cheptai remained firmly in contention within the group.

Approaching the 21km mark, defending champion Sharon Lokedi began to edge forward into the lead group, although the race remained tightly bunched with no decisive breakaway as the competition continued to build.

As the women passed the 25km mark, Carrie Ellwood had taken over, with Dakotah Popehn and Kodi Kleven running alongside her. Loice Chemnung, Sharon Lokedi and Irine Cheptai were also in the leading pack.

At the 30km mark, the women’s race remained tightly contested, with six runners in the lead, all passing through in a shared split time of 1:11:02.

Passing the 35km mark, Sharon Lokedi had moved to the front to take control of the race, although she remained under close pressure from Loice Chemnung and Irine Cheptai, who stayed within striking distance as they continued their pursuit of victory in Boston.

Nearing the 40km mark, the race had narrowed into a direct duel between Sharon Lokedi and Loice Chemnung, with Chemnung applying pressure as she worked relentlessly to close the gap.

Sharon Lokedi then executed a well-timed and tactical finish to win the race in 2:18:51, holding off Loice Chemnung (2:19:35), while Mary Ngugi-Cooper completed an all-Kenyan podium in 2:20:07.