Kenya's Sharon Lokedi defended her Boston Marathon title on Monday, leading the 2026 results with a dominant wire-to-wire performance. The Boston Marathon winner clocked 2 hours, 18 minutes and 51 seconds — the fourth-fastest women's time in race history.
Lokedi led an all-Kenyan podium sweep at the 130th Boston Marathon, with Loice Chemnung finishing second at 2:19:35 while Mary Ngugi-Cooper claimed third at 2:20:07.
"I was very tired, I didn't know if I had it today," the celebrated distance runner said afterwards. "But I felt like this was it. I was either going to go or I was going to stay."
The defending champion forgot her watch on race day. She borrowed one at the last minute, but subsequently never checked her splits during the race.
"I knew I was going fast, I just didn't know how fast I was going," Lokedi said.
Arizona native Jess McClain stole the Boston Marathon results spotlight by shattering the US course record. She finished fifth overall in 2:20:49, breaking Shalane Flanagan's 2014 mark by 1:13.
McClain improved her time by 1:54 over last year's seventh-place finish. She topped the US field for the second consecutive year.
"To run the time that I knew was in me, at some point in the wheelhouse of what I can do, is really awesome," McClain said after.
Three other US women's runners cracked the Top 10 on Monday. Annie Frisbie finished eighth at 2:22:00, Emily Sisson placed ninth at 2:22:39, and Carrie Ellwood rounded out the Top 10 at 2:22:53.
London Follows Boston Marathon on 2026 World Majors Calendar
The 2026 season continues this weekend, as the London Marathon — the next World Marathon Major on the calendar — kicks off on April 26th.
