OBIRI, LEMMA TO DEFEND BOSTON MARATHON TITLES

OBIRI, LEMMA TO DEFEND BOSTON MARATHON TITLES
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2025 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved, used with permission. 

(08-Jan) — Hellen Obiri of Kenya and Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia will be back to defend their Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America titles on Monday, April 20, race organizers announced today.  Obiri, 35, the reigning Olympic Marathon bronze medalist, will be looking for her third consecutive Boston victory, a feat last accomplished by Ethiopia’s Fatuma Roba from 1997 to 1999.

“Defending a win is never easy, and to win the Boston Marathon twice in a row was hard, but I am happy to have done it,” Obiri said in a media release.  The On Athletics Club athlete continued: “On race day, I will again push for the win and hope to make it three in a row.”

Obiri –the only athlete in history to have won global titles in cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track– will have to overcome stiff competition to collect another win.  Elite athlete coordinator Mary Kate Shea has stacked the field with a total of 17 sub-2:23:00 women, the fastest being Ethiopians Amane Beriso (2:14:58) and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:16:52).  Other title contenders include Kenya’s Irine Cheptai (2:17:51), Mary Ngugi (2:20:22), and Sharon Lokedi (2:22:45); Romania’s Joan Melly (2:18:24); and Ethiopians Rahma Tusa (2:19:33), Buze Diriba (2:20:22), and Bedatu Hirpa (2:21:09).

Several American women hope to be in the mix for the podium, including Keira D’Amato (2:19:12), Sara Hall (2:20:32), Emma Bates (2:22:10), Dakotah Popehn (2:24:40), and Jess McClain (2:25:46).  Bates was the top USA woman last year, finishing 12th in 2:27:14 after missing last February’s Olympic Trials Marathon with an injury.  The last American woman to make the podium in Boston was Jordan Hasay, who finished third in 2019.

Lemma, 34, has a personal best of 2:01:48 and completely dominated the 2024 edition of the race. The Adidas-sponsored athlete bolted through the mostly downhill first half alone in 1:00:19, and even though he slowed severely in the second half, he still won by 41 seconds in 2:06:17.

“I was thrilled after winning the Boston Marathon last year, and in 2025, I know it will be an even bigger challenge to win again,” Lemma said.  “I was unlucky, because of an injury, not to be able to participate at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, and I was not completely ready at the Valencia Marathon last December, but I will be 100% ready next…