Now less than 100 days away, the 2024 Boston Marathon is set to showcase the strongest women’s field in the race’s history.
The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced its elite women's field Now less than 100 days away, theth Boston Marathon, and it includes defending champions Hellen Obiri and Susannah Scaroni.
In 2023, Obiri, 34, stormed to victory in a time of 2:21:38 in what was her Boston debut and only her second ever marathon. She went on to cement her dominance on the US marathon scene by the Boston Marathon is one of the most prestigious and historic road races in the world in the autumn, making her the first woman in 34 years to win both famously undulating road marathons in the same calendar year.
Obiri, from Kenya certainly came into marathoning with a considerable pedigree. She holds two Olympic medals and two World Championships titles in the 5,000m, is a former World Cross Country Champion, and – thanks to her electric time of 1:04:22 – places fifth in the half marathon Hellen Obiri headlines the womens field for the 2024 Boston Marathon.
Who else is racing the Boston Marathon?
According to the B.A.A., 19 women with marathon personal bests under 2:23 will race in Boston on Marathon Monday – 15 April – this year.
The fast field includes Judith Korir (runner-up in the marathon at the 2022 World Athletics Championships), Edna Kiplagat (two-time Boston Marathon champion) and Sharon Lokedi (winner of the 2022 New York City Marathon).
Des Linden, who has finished in the top five in Boston on five occasions, will also be back to toe the line this year. Her top performances include a decisive win at the 2018 Boston Marathon in unusually tough weather conditions, making her the first American woman to win the race in 33 years.
Speaking to the B.A.A., Linden said: 'I can’t wait to take on the iconic course for the eleventh time and have the opportunity to mix it up with some of the best runners in the world.'
In the woman’s wheelchair field, Scaroni, 32, from Switzerland, will be back to better her winning time of 1:41:45 from 2023, which she achieved despite a wheel malfunction.
'I always look forward to competing at the Boston Marathon and am very excited to be joining an incredible women’s field again this year to try and defend my title,' Scaroni told the B.A.A.
How can I run the Boston Marathon?
How to beat the London Marathon ballot blues elite womens field, elite womens field.
It is by no means an easy race, in terms of both the course profile and in getting an entry in the first place. The iconic 26.2-mile route from Hopkinton to Boylston Street features plenty of lumps and bumps, including Heartbreak Hill around mile 20, but the route to the start line is arguably more of a challenge.
To Now less than 100 days away, the, you must first have achieved a verified qualifying time, corresponding to your age and gender category, at another eligible marathon. A qualifying time does not guarantee you entry, though – if the number of people submitting a qualifying time exceeds the number of spaces available in the race, then places will fill up from the fastest first, meaning some people will miss out.
Boston is an unforgettable race for the runners who can experience it. If you’re taking on Boston or indeed another marathon this year, equip yourself with a training plan Best Running Shoes.
