Defending men’s and women’s champions Obiri, and Lemma to defend at the 2025 Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America

The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced that Hellen Obiri (Kenya) and Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia) will return to defend their Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America titles.

They will headline a field that includes 21 sub-2:09 men and 17 sub-2:23 women. Obiri seeks to become the first woman to three-peat since Fatuma Roba did so from 1997-1999.

In addition to two consecutive wins on the streets of Boston, Obiri earned a bronze medal at the Olympic Marathon in Paris and was runner-up at the TCS New York City Marathon in November.

 Sisay’s 2:01:38 lifetime best ranks fastest among the men’s field, and his winning margin last April was 41 seconds.

“Boston annually brings together the world’s best each April, and this Patriots’ Day is no different,” said Jack Fleming, CEO of the Boston Athletic Association. “Coming off an Olympic year, top contenders worldwide have turned their attention to Boston and hope to etch their name into Boston Marathon lore with a victory.”

Only four women have won three consecutive Boston Marathon Open Division titles – Bobbi Gibb, Sara Mae Berman, Uta Pippig, and Fatuma Roba. Trying to prevent Obiri’s three-peat will be a host of international and U.S. stars.

Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso and Yalemzerf Yehualaw have the fastest lifetime bests in the field (2:14:58 and 2:16:52, respectively). Beriso finished second in 2023 and is the reigning world champion.

Also from Ethiopia are 2023 Sydney Marathon runner-ups Rahma Tusa and Buze Diriba, who placed fourth at Boston and Chicago last year.

“Defending a win is never easy, and to win the Boston Marathon twice in a row was hard, but I am happy to have done it,” said Obiri. “On race day I will again push for the win and hope to make it three in a row.”

Toughness and experience are often rewarded in Boston, and Kenya’s Edna Kiplagat, Sharon Lokedi, Irine Cheptai, Viola Chepngeno, and Mary Ngugi-Cooper have just that. Kiplagat is a two-time Boston winner (2017 and 2021); Lokedi was second last year in Boston and fourth at the Olympic Marathon in Paris; Cheptai has earned four medals at the World Cross Country Championships; Chepngeno won the Boston Half in 2022; and Ngugi-Cooper has five top ten finishes in Boston. With Obiri and 2012 winner Sharon Cherop, the Kenyan contingent is perhaps the deepest in race history.

Five of the top seven men’s finishers from last year’s Boston Marathon return, led by reigning champion Sisay Lemma. Many of Lemma’s challengers a year ago are ready for Round 2.

“I was very happy after winning the Boston Marathon last year, and in 2025 I know it will be an even bigger challenge to win again,” said Lemma. “I was unlucky, because of an injury, not to be able to participate at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris and I was not completely ready at the Valencia Marathon last December, but I will be 100% ready next April because the Boston Marathon is a special event.”

Kenya’s Evans Chebet, the two-time Boston Marathon champion who was third in 2024 is back, as are 2024 fourth and fifth-place finishers John Korir and Albert Korir. John Korir – winner of the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon – is the brother of 2012 Boston champion Wesley Korir.

The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.