Kipchoge set to headline April’s Boston race
World marathon record holder and double Olympic gold medallist Eliud Kipchoge is among a galaxy of Kenyan stars that will headline an elite men’s field in the 127th edition of the Boston Marathon scheduled for April 17 in the United States.
Kipchoge will be joined by reigning Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner in the same race Benson Kipruto, Albert Korir, John Korir, Augustine Choge, Mark Korir, Nobert Kigen and Michael Githae.
As the fastest marathoner in history,
Kipchoge will take on the challenging Boston Marathon course with hopes of earning his eleventh win at an Abbott World Marathon Majors event.
Kipchoge’s last marathon resulted in a new world record when he timed 2:01:09 for the win at September’s Berlin Marathon. Kipchoge’s lifetime best is 1:59:40, run at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge exhibition event in 2019 where he became the first man ever to cover 26.2 miles in under two hours.
Kipchoge looks to become the only man in history to have established a marathon world record, won two Olympic marathon gold medals and broken the tape first in Boston over the span of their career.
New chapter
“I am happy to announce that in April, I will compete in the Boston Marathon, a new chapter in my Abbott World Marathon Majors journey,” said Kipchoge. “Good luck to all the runners running Boston in 2023,” Kipchoge added.
In 2022, Chebet (Evans) became just the sixth man in history to win the Boston and New York City Marathons in the same year. Chebet stormed to a 2:06:51 win at the Boston Marathon in April then ran to victory at the TCS New York City Marathon in November.
“To be a champion in Boston is something very special and for me, it has even more meaning because it took me quite some time during my career to be competitive enough to finally win the oldest marathon in the world,” said Chebet.
“I can’t wait to be back and to enjoy the great atmosphere of such a unique and historical race,” he added.
Chebet’s training partner Kipruto, also returns he won the 2022 Chicago Marathon in addition to claiming Boston in October 2021.
“Boston is more than simply a place for me to race,” said Kipruto.
“It has become so familiar to me that just the idea of making the journey there once again gets me kind of emotional.
“Even now, in these months to come, I promise to concentrate and dedicate my time and training to be at my best and to ensure that I honour this special opportunity, once again.
“Thank you, Boston for having me back,” Kipruto said. The Kenyans are among 15 men who’ve run under 2:07 for the marathon distance, as well as multiple Abbott World Marathon Major race champions, Olympic.
A total of 109 men’s athletes from 21 countries are in this year’s professional field across the men’s Open, Wheelchair, and Para Athletics divisions. Kenyans will face off with Tanzanian national record holder Gabriel Geay, who finished runner-up at the Valencia Marathon last month in 2:03:00.
Geay has had success racing on the roads of Boston, winning the 2018 B.A.A. 10K, placing fourth at last year’s Boston Marathon, and finishing in second and third at the B.A.A. Half Marathon in 2019 and 2018, respectively.
