The 2026 Boston Marathon, set for next Monday, will feature one of the deepest elite fields in the race's 130-year history, with four men who have run under 2 hours and 3 minutes entered in the professional division. The field is headlined by defending champion Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia and world record holder Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya.
On the women's side, Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, who holds the women's world record of 2:11:53, will make her Boston debut against a field that includes two-time champion Hellen Obiri and American record holder Emily Sisson. Race organizers expect multiple course records to be challenged if weather conditions cooperate.
The forecast currently calls for temperatures in the mid-50s with light winds from the southwest, which would be nearly ideal conditions for fast times on the rolling point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Boston. Over 30,000 runners are registered for the event, including qualified amateurs from all 50 states and over 100 countries.
