Boston Marathon men’s preview: could an American end the drought?

While Christmas may be referred to as the most wonderful time of the year, for runners, that time would be the Boston Marathon. As the oldest annually run marathon in North America, it signals the arrival of spring, drawing the world’s fastest distance runners to Hopkinton, Mass., to join the sport’s legends. The 129th edition welcomes the return of reigning champion Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia, alongside Kenya’s Evans Chebet, who won two of the last three editions. A dark horse in the mix is American Conner Mantz, who is aiming to become the first U.S. winner in more than a decade.

Could an American pull off the win?

If the Paris Olympics proved anything to our neighbours down south, it’s that U.S. men’s distance running is experiencing a resurgence—and one of the athletes leading the charge is Utah’s own Conner Mantz.

The 28-year-old finished eighth in the Olympic marathon before following it up with a sixth-place finish against a stacked field at the New York City Marathon last fall. His most eye-catching performances, however, have been his back-to-back sub-60-minute half-marathons in the lead-up to Monday’s race. Mantz shattered the American half-marathon record at Houston in January, with a 59:17, breaking a mark that had stood for nearly two decades. Then he ran another blistering time on a tough course at the NYC Half in March. There’s no doubt Mantz is in the best shape of his career, and his marathon performances on the global stage suggest he’s close to breaking through. Could Boston be the race where it all comes together?

In the last 41 years, only one American has won the Boston Marathon—Meb Keflezighi, in 2014. Aside from that, U.S. runners haven’t had much luck. Even in 2011, when Ryan Hall ran an incredible 2:04:58 (aided by a strong tailwind), he still finished off the podium.

Mantz has a legitimate shot to make history and carve out his place among Boston Marathon legends. His recent half-marathon performances prove he has the talent and strength to contend, but the question remains: can he match the race-day speed and tactics needed to hang on late in the race? If Lemma throws down a sub-14-minute 5K coming out of the Newton Hills, Mantz could struggle—but if he can stay in the mix, he has as strong a chance as anyone else.

The challengers

The men’s elite field at the 2025 Boston Marathon is strong. While London, scheduled just a week later, has dominated headlines with famous names like Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele, Boston boasts an equally competitive lineup, featuring 17 runners with sub-2:08 times, and the past two champions returning for another shot at glory.

Ethiopia’s Lemma returns after cementing his name in history last year. His 2:06:17 victory was the 10th-fastest time in race history and marked the first Ethiopian win in nearly a decade. That triumph earned him a spot on Ethiopia’s Olympic team for Paris—one he was forced to relinquish due to an injury just six weeks before the Games. Now, the 34-year-old seeks redemption, eager to prove once more that he is the world’s most tactical marathoner.

Kenya’s Chebet might have something to say about that. The two-time champion (2022, 2023) finished third to Lemma in 2024 (2:07:22)—despite reportedly not being at full strength, still managing his training load after an Achilles injury that kept him out of the 2023 New York City Marathon. No one knows Boston better than Chebet, and he understands what it takes to win. His biggest challenge? Pacing. The 36-year-old’s best strategy will be timing his move well. If the front pack sets an aggressive pace early, he may struggle, especially since he hasn’t broken 2:05 since 2020.

Beyond the defending champions, here are three names to watch:

•  John Korir (Kenya) – Arrives in personal-best shape after a 2:02:44 at last year’s Chicago Marathon.
• Daniel Mateiko (Kenya) – Eliud Kipchoge’s protégé has had ups and downs over the marathon distance but delivered a strong 2:04:24 in Valencia last December. Coached by Patrick Sang (Kipchoge’s coach), he’s widely viewed as Kenya’s next marathon great—even Kipchoge believes it.
• Victor Kiplangat (Uganda) – A dark horse contender with a PB of 2:05:09. The reigning World and Commonwealth Games champion hasn’t quite cracked a major yet, but his mountain-running background and tactical style of running could suit Boston perfectly. No Ugandan runner has ever won this race—could he be the first?

Canada’s Linkletter wants to be in the conversation

For Canadians tuning in, keep your eyes on bib #20, as Calgary’s Rory Linkletter returns to Boston for the second time in his career, with his eye on a top-10 finish. Sitting down with Canadian Running’s The Shakeout Podcast host John Gay, Linkletter revealed his build for Boston has been his favourite marathon training block to date, he’s excited to race and he has no idea what to expect.

“I want to crack the top 10 at a marathon major,” Linkletter said on the podcast. “I think it’s something I can do, and I’ll do whatever it takes to get me there.”

Boston will be Linkletter’s first marathon under the guidance of his new coach, Jon Green, who leads the Verde Track Club in Flagstaff, Ariz. Linkletter says Green has him running 25-30 kilometres more per week than he was doing when he ran his personal best of 2:08:01 in Seville, and has added double threshold workouts into his training block for the first time—something he’s says he’s really enjoyed.

All roads for Linkletter lead to being the best runner he can be for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. “I want to improve, and know I need to run against the best to do that,” he says. “If I can be successful in Boston, I know I can be successful anywhere.” 

How to watch

The 2025 Boston Marathon will be broadcast on TSN, beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, April 21. The men’s open race will begin at 9:37 a.m. and will likely conclude around noon. 

Canadian Running will be your home for the 129th Boston Marathon, featuring live-tweeting and social media posts from the event. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram for news and updates.