Peres Jepchirchir wins the TCS New York City Marathon (© Getty Images)
Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir, bronze medallist Molly Seidel and 2021 London Marathon winner Joyciline Jepkosgei are among the athletes announced for the 126th Boston Marathon, a World Athletics Elite Platinum Label Road Race, to be run on 18 April.
Included in the elite women's field are 12 women who have run under 2:23, with the event – the first Boston Marathon held on Patriots’ Day since 2019 – marking the 50th anniversary of the first official women’s field, which in 1972 featured eight finishers.
Kenya's Jepchirchir, who ran her PB of 2:17:16 in Valencia at the end of 2020, will make her Boston Marathon debut less than a year after claiming both the Olympic marathon gold medal in Tokyo and the TCS New York City Marathon title. She’ll square off against Tokyo bronze medallist Seidel, a former Boston resident who became only the third US woman in history to claim a medal in the Olympic marathon.
“My high expectation is to be a winner and I would like to arrive at the day of the race in my best shape,” said Jepchirchir. “I have time enough to prepare for it and I will do my best in training to be ready to run against some of the best marathon runners in the world.”
Seidel said: “When I lived and trained in Boston I just became totally enamored with the Boston Marathon. Every Patriots’ Day I would go to Heartbreak Hill to watch the runners, and whenever I trained on the course I dreamed of getting to run the race some day.
“There’s something uniquely special about the Boston Marathon, and I absolutely can’t wait to line up in Hopkinton this April for the race!”
In addition to Jepchirchir and Seidel, this year’s women’s professional open field includes Boston Marathon champions Edna Kiplagat (2017) and Des Linden (2018), plus 2021 London and 2019 New York City Marathon winner Jepkosgei and four sub-2:20 Ethiopian contenders in Degitu Azimeraw, Roza Dereje, Zeineba Yimer and Tigist Girma.
Beyond Seidel and Linden, a strong US contingent includes Sara Hall, Nell Rojas, Kellyn Taylor and Stephanie Bruce, while the field also features Canada's national record-holder Malindi Elmore and Natasha Wodak, as well as Charlotte Purdue of Great Britain.
Organisers for World Athletics
Elite field
Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:17:16
Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:17:43
Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 2:17:58
Roza Dereje (ETH) 2:18:30
Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 2:19:28
Edna Kiplagat (KEN) 2:19:50
Tigist Girma (ETH) 2:19:52
Maurine Chepkemoi (KEN) 2:20:18
Sara Hall (USA) 2:20:32
Desiree Linden (USA) 2:22:38
Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2:22:44
Purity Changwony (KEN) 2:22:46
Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 2:23:26
Kellyn Taylor (USA) 2:24:28
Molly Seidel (USA) 2:24:42
Malindi Elmore (CAN) 2:24:50
Mary Ngugi (KEN) 2:25:20
Monicah Ngige (KEN) 2:25:32
Natasha Wodak (CAN) 2:26:19
Nell Rojas (USA) 2:27:12
Stephanie Bruce (USA) 2:27:47
Dakotah Lindwurm (USA) 2:29:04
Roberta Groner (USA) 2:29:09
Angie Orjuela (COL) 2:29:12
Bria Wetsch (USA) 2:29:50
Maegan Krifchin (USA) 2:30:17
Elaina Tabb (USA) 2:30:33
Lexie Thompson (USA) 2:30:37
Kate Landau (USA) 2:31:56
