In what promises to be a titanic tussle on the tarmac, Kenya’s marathon maestro Evans Chebet is set to renew his rivalry with the Ethiopian powerhouse Sisay Lemma and the fleet-footed Tanzanian Gabriel Geay at this year’s Boston Marathon on April 15. The streets of Boston are bracing for an athletic spectacle as these formidable long-distance runners prepare to battle it out in one of the world’s most prestigious road races.
Chebet, who gloriously defended his Boston crown last year with a time of 2:05:54, comes into the race with an enviable record of triumphs, having won six of his last seven marathons. However, the Kenyan will need to summon all his experience and resilience as he faces Lemma, the recent Valencia Marathon victor, who stormed to victory in a blistering 2:01:48, catapulting him to the fourth-fastest marathon runner in history.
Lemma’s scorching pace makes him the fastest man in a star-studded Boston field this year, featuring no fewer than 20 athletes who have broken the sub-2:10 barrier. Yet, Chebet is no stranger to such competition, boasting a personal best identical to Geay’s – a formidable 2:03:00, also recorded in Valencia.
Tanzania’s Geay, who chased Chebet to the finish line in last year’s Boston Marathon, is primed to go one better this year. Both he and Chebet will need to be wary of the other elite runners nipping at their heels, including Kenya’s Joshua Belet, Ronald Korir, and Cyprian Kotut, as well as Ethiopians Haftu Teklu and the twice runner-up in major marathons, Shura Kitata.
Beyond this elite ensemble, the field is dense with talent. New York Marathon champion Albert Korir, former Japanese record-holder Suguru Osako, and Norwegian record-holder Sondre Moen will take to the starting line. Additionally, recent Houston Marathon victor Zouhair Talbi and the multiple NCAA champion Edward Cheserek cannot be discounted, adding further depth to an already impressive roster.
As the athletes lace up and the world watches with bated breath, the Boston Marathon stands ready to deliver another chapter in the storied annals of long-distance running. Will Chebet’s strength and strategy carry him to another victory, or will Lemma’s lightning speed rewrite the record books? Can Geay upset the established order and claim his spot atop the podium? The pounding of feet on the pavement from Hopkinton to Boylston Street will tell a tale of endurance, speed, and heart. One thing is for certain, the 26.2 miles through Boston will be a marathon to remember.
Elite field
Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:01:48
Evans Chebet (KEN) 2:03:00
Gabriel Geay (TAN) 2:03:00
Joshua Belet (KEN) 2:04:18
Ronald Korir (KEN) 2:04:22
Cyprian Kotut (KEN) 2:04:34
Haftu Teklu (ETH) 2:04:43
Shura Kitata (ETH) 2:04:49
John Korir (KEN) 2:05:01
Mohamed Esa (ETH) 2:05:05
Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:05:29
Sondre Moen (NOR) 2:05:48
Filmon Ande (ERI) 2:06:38
Zouhair Talbi (MAR) 2:06:39
Isaac Mpofu (ZIM) 2:06:48
Albert Korir (KEN) 2:06:57
Kento Otsu (JPN) 2:08:15
Ryoma Takeuchi (JPN) 2:08:40
Segundo Jami (ECU) 2:09:05
Tsegay Tuemay (ERI) 2:09:07
Matt McDonald (USA) 2:09:49
David Nilsson (SWE) 2:10:09
Tristan Woodfine (CAN) 2:10:39
CJ Albertson (USA) 2:10:52
Chris Thompson (GBR) 2:10:52
Edward Cheserek (KEN) 2:11:07
Yemane Haileselassie (ERI) debut
