Olympic marathon bronze medallist Benson Kipruto will be out to reclaim his Boston Marathon crown on April 20, aiming to launch his 2026 campaign on a flying note.
Read Also
Kipruto headlines a stacked men’s field unveiled by race organisers on Wednesday for the 130th running of the Boston Marathon.
The 34-year-old Kenyan returns to familiar territory, having claimed the title back in 2021 when he powered to victory in 2:09:51, fending off Ethiopians Lemi Berhanu (2:10:37) and Jemal Yimer (2:10:38).
Enjoying this article?
Subscribe for unlimited access to premium sports coverage.
View Plans
Kipruto lines up in Boston seeking to build momentum after a mixed 2025 campaign.
His season began on a sour note at the Tokyo Marathon, where he could only manage seventh place in 2:05:46.
Ethiopia’s Tadese Teele stole the show with a 2:03:23 finish, followed by Deresa Geleta (2:03:51) and Kenya’s Vincent Ngetich, who clocked 2:04:00 for third.
Kipruto dusted himself off and bounced back with a podium finish at the Bogotá Half Marathon, clocking 1:03:41 to place third behind Philemon Kiplimo (1:02:55) and Samson Amare (1:03:40).
The Kenyan ace then capped off the year in emphatic fashion, delivering a masterclass at the New York City Marathon, cruising to victory in 2:08:09, anchoring a Kenyan podium sweep.
He edged compatriot Alexander Munyao, who clocked an identical time, while Albert Korir completed the podium in 2:08:57.
Fresh from his New York triumph, Kipruto laid bare his grand ambition to conquer every race on the Abbott World Marathon Majors circuit.
“That is my dream now. To win them all and have the seven-star medal,” Kipruto said.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors comprise Tokyo, Boston, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago and New York.
Kipruto has already ticked off four of the seven, having triumphed in Boston and New York, as well as Tokyo in 2024 (2:02:16) and Chicago in 2022 (2:04:24).
The remaining frontiers on his marathon map are Sydney, London and Berlin. In this year’s Boston showdown, Kipruto will face stern opposition from defending champion John Korir, who stormed to victory in 2025 in 2:04:45.
Adding further Kenyan depth is CyBrian Kotut, eager to upgrade his third-place finish from last year, while 2025 Chicago Marathon third-place finisher Alex Masai completes a formidable Kenyan quartet.
The Kenyans will, however, have their work cut out against a strong international cast led by Dutch star Abdi Nageeye, the 2024 New York City Marathon champion.
Also looming large is Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu, the reigning world marathon champion as well as American record holder over the half and full marathon, Conner Mantz.
Comments 0
Sign in to join the conversation
Sign In Create AccountNo comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!