2026 Boston Marathon

Hellen Obiri has opened up a 22-second gap on Amane Beriso as they pass mile 22. The Kenyan looks strong and composed.

This entry was posted while the page was open to test the auto-refresh toast notification. If you can see this, the polling engine detected the new entry and injected it into the feed.

Heartbreak Hill is the last of four Newton Hills on the Boston Marathon course, peaking at mile 20.5. It rises about 88 feet over half a mile — not steep by hiking standards, but devastating at marathon pace after 20 miles of running.

The name comes from the 1936 Boston Marathon, when defending champion Johnny Kelley patted leader Ellison ‘Tarzan’ Brown on the shoulder while passing him on the hill. Brown rallied, retook the lead, and won — breaking Kelley’s heart.

The finish line is ready. 26.2 miles of history ends right here.

I’ve been covering Boston for over fifty years, and this one ranks among the very best. What Lemma did today wasn’t just fast — it was artful. He ran the Newton hills like a man who has studied every meter of this course, saving just enough for that devastating final surge.

The crowd knew they were watching something special. When he turned onto Boylston, the roar was unlike anything I’ve heard since the Duel in the Sun back in ’82.

The Boston Athletic Association has made it official on X.

Hellen Obiri is running like a woman on a mission. The Kenyan has steadily increased the pace through the Newton hills and has opened a meaningful gap over Amane Beriso. Sharon Lokedi is hanging tough in third.

Sisay Lemma crosses the line on Boylston Street with his arms raised, breaking his own course record by over 49 seconds. An absolutely dominant performance from start to finish. He is the first man to successfully defend a Boston title since Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot in 2008.

The famous Wellesley Scream Tunnel is in full force today. The noise is absolutely deafening as the elite women pass through — you can hear the crowd from half a mile away. This is what makes Boston special.

Sisay Lemma has thrown down a devastating move on the final climb of Heartbreak Hill. He’s opened a gap of nearly 20 seconds on Chebet, who is visibly struggling. This is where Boston marathons are won and lost.

The westerly wind at the runners’ backs is a gift from the marathon gods today. Boston’s notoriously difficult point-to-point course — with its net downhill but punishing Newton hills — typically doesn’t produce the fastest times. But the tailwind changes the calculus entirely.

Lemma’s first half of 1:01:22 puts him right on the pace he ran when he set the course record of 2:02:57 last year. With conditions actually better today, we could see something special on Boylston Street.

The lead pack has been whittled down through the hills of Newton. Five men remain in contention at the half. The pace has been remarkably even.

A large lead pack of about 12 runners passes the 5K mark together. The pace is aggressive but controlled — right on 2:01 marathon pace. Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia), Evans Chebet (Kenya), and defending champion Benson Kipruto are all tucked in near the front.

The elite men’s field has been released from Hopkinton. Perfect conditions at the start — 54°F, partly cloudy, with a gentle westerly breeze. A field of over 30,000 runners will follow in waves over the next hour.