A field of more than 30,000 athletes prepares for the 127th running of the Boston Marathon, which covers 26.2 miles from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to Boston. The world’s oldest annual marathon celebrates community spirit and the pursuit of athletic excellence with entrants from 122 countries and all 50 US states each year. Dressed in fatigues and combat boots, members of the Massachusetts National Guard left the starting line early Monday morning. Staff at the Fairmont Copley Plaza line the hallways of the Boston Hotel to cheer on professional athletes as they board buses to Hopkinton. VIDEO BELOW: HALLWAY THRILLS Fifteen professional athletes who have run sub-2:07 marathons will be competing in this year’s race, including the current world record holder and several past champions. Be one in the field. “On paper, we have a strong assembled field in all the different divisions: men’s open, women’s open, wheelchair open — men’s and women’s,” Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray said. “That’s why we’re running the race. We don’t know what’s going to happen out there, but on paper, we’ve got the fastest field ever for this race.” The list includes world record holder and double Olympic gold medalist Eliot. Kipzoge, reigning Boston Marathon champion Evans Sebet, 2021 winner Benson Kipruto and two-time winner Lelisa Desisa. Last year’s top American finisher, Scott Fauble, will run the course for the fourth time. He finished seventh in 2022. American Daniel Romanczuk will return as the defending champion in the wheelchair division, having won in 1:26:58 last April. He also won in 2019. He will be challenged by wheelchair marathon world record holder and Paralympic marathon gold medalist Marcel Hug of Switzerland. Professional athletes competing in the women’s field include world medalists, national record holders, Olympians, Paralympians and five former Boston Marathon champions. The field includes 16 women who have run the marathon under 2 hours and 21 minutes. Among the returning champion runners are Tess Linden of the United States, Edna Kiplakat of Kenya and Atsede Besa of Ethiopia. Wheelchair division champions Tatiana McFadden of the United States and Manuela Schar of Switzerland are also set to compete again. Last year’s champions will also face Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshane and Kenya’s Mary Nuki, who finished second and third last year. Yeshane came within four seconds of winning last year. Video below: Who to watch in the 127th Boston Marathon Pro Field Three-time World Series champion and Red Sox legend David Ortiz will serve as grand marshal this year. Ortiz, who rallied Boston after the April 15, 2013, marathon bombings, returned 10 years later to ceremonially lead a field of course participants. The men’s wheelchair division will start at 9:02 am. The women’s division will be followed by handcycle and doubles participants. The professional men’s field begins at 9:37 a.m. and the professional women will follow 10 minutes later. On Saturday, the city of Boston and the Boston Athletic Association honored the victims and survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, 10 years after the attack. Martin Richard, 8; Krystle Campbell, 29; and Lu Lingxi, 23, killed in bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. More than 200 people were injured. MIT police officer Sean Collier, 27, was killed days later while searching for the bombers. Boston police officer Dennis Simmonds died a year later in a shootout with the bombers. Video below: The ceremony was held 10 years after the Boston Marathon bombings
A field of more than 30,000 athletes prepares for the 127th running of the Boston Marathon, which covers 26.2 miles from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, to Boston.
The world’s oldest annual marathon celebrates community spirit and the pursuit of athletic excellence with entrants from 122 countries and all 50 US states each year.
Dressed in fatigues and combat boots, members of the Massachusetts National Guard left the starting line early Monday morning.
Employees at the Fairmont Copley Plaza lined the sidewalks of the Boston Hotel to cheer on professional athletes as they boarded buses to Hopkinton.
Video below: Cheers down the hallway
Fifteen professional athletes who have run a sub-2:07 marathon will be in the field competing in this year’s race, including the current world record holder and several past champions.
“On paper, we have a strong assembled field in all the different divisions: men’s open, women’s open, wheelchair open — men’s and women’s,” Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray said. “That’s why we’re running the race. We don’t know what’s going to happen out there, but on paper, we have the fastest field ever for this race.”
The list includes world record holder and double Olympic gold medalist Eliud Kipchoge, Boston Marathon champion Evans Sebet, 2021 winner Benson Kibrudo and two-time winner Lelisa Tesisa.
Last year’s top American finisher, Scott Fauble, will run the course for the fourth time. He finished seventh in 2022.
American Daniel Romanczuk will return as the defending champion in the wheelchair division after winning in 1:26:58 last April. He also won in 2019.
He will be challenged by wheelchair marathon world record holder and Paralympic marathon gold medalist Marcel Hug of Switzerland.
Professional athletes competing in the women’s field include world medalists, national record holders, Olympians, Paralympians and five former Boston Marathon champions.
There are 16 women in the field who have run the marathon under 2 hours and 21 minutes.
Among the returning champion runners are Tess Linden of the United States, Edna Kiplakat of Kenya and Adset Besa of Ethiopia. Wheelchair division champions Tatiana McFadden of the United States and Manuela Schar of Switzerland also return to the competition.
Last year’s champions will also face Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshane and Kenya’s Mary Nuki, who finished second and third last year. Yeshane came within four seconds of winning last year.
Video below: Who to watch in the 127th Boston Marathon pro field
Three-time World Series champion and Red Sox legend David Ortiz will serve as this year’s grand marshal. Ortiz, who united Boston after the April 15, 2013, marathon bombings, returned 10 years later to formally lead a field of course participants.
The men’s wheelchair division is scheduled to start at 9:02 a.m., followed by the women’s division and the handcycle and two will participate.
The professional men’s field begins at 9:37 a.m., followed 10 minutes later by the professional women.
On Saturday, the city of Boston and the Boston Athletic Association honored the victims and survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing, 10 years after the attack.
Martin Richard, 8; Krystle Campbell, 29; and Lu Lingxi, 23, killed in bombings at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. More than 200 people were injured.
MIT police officer Sean Collier, 27, was killed days later during the manhunt for the bombers. Boston police officer Dennis Simmonds died a year after responding to the bombing.
Video below: Ceremony held 10 years after the Boston Marathon bombings
