Fiona O’Keeffe will not run the Boston Marathon on Monday. The Boston Athletic Association announced Sunday afternoon that the American has withdrawn from the race because of a recent hamstring issue, pulling one of the United States’ most promising names from the women’s open division less than 24 hours before the starting gun in Hopkinton.
“The B.A.A. wishes Fiona a speedy recovery and hopes to see her back on the roads of Boston soon,” the organization said in its statement.
The B.A.A. did not say when O’Keeffe suffered the injury or offer any timeline for her return to racing. The announcement came through a short media alert on April 19, the day before the 130th edition of the race, which is presented by Bank of America.
O’Keeffe’s withdrawal takes a recognizable American contender out of the field. O’Keeffe, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials champion, had been among the runners expected to factor into the women’s race on the point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Boylston Street. She has dealt with injury trouble before, starting the 2024 Paris Olympic marathon hurt and failing to finish.
The Boston Athletic Association, founded in 1887, manages the marathon along with charity, youth and year-round programming. The organization describes its mission as promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running, and its vision as a world where all people can access and benefit from running and an active lifestyle.
Boston is one of seven races in the Abbott World Marathon Majors. The others are held in Tokyo, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York City.
The 130th Boston Marathon is scheduled for Monday, April 20, 2026. Spectators can check the Marathon Handbook guide to watching the 2026 race and the weekend events roundup for last-minute planning. Forecasters expect a cool day after a sweaty lead-up.
Source: Boston Athletic Association media alert, April 19, 2026.
