Boston Marathon women’s preview: Hellen Obiri aims for third consecutive win

Kenya’s Hellen Obiri is aiming to accomplish a rare feat on Monday—winning three consecutive Boston Marathon titles, something only three women in the race’s history have done before her. The 35-year-old distance runner has already cemented her legacy as one of the greatest female distance runners in history, with multiple Olympic and world championship medals on both the track and the roads. A Boston three-peat would represent the pinnacle of achievement for the Kenyan.

Hellen Obiri won the Boston Marathon in 2023. She won again in 2024. Now, she has the chance to become the first ever Kenyan woman to win the race three times at the 2025 Boston Marathon on Monday. pic.twitter.com/zzIBvULa1S

— RUN (@Outside_Run) April 18, 2025

It has been 26 years since Ethiopia’s Fatuma Roba last achieved three straight Boston Marathon victories in 1999, and Obiri acknowledges this will be her toughest challenge yet. At Friday’s press conference, she reflected on the difficulty of defending a title, saying, “Winning the Boston Marathon twice in a row was hard, but I am happy to have done it.” (Uta Pippig (1994-1996), Sara Mae Berman–unofficially, 1969-1971–and Bobbi Gibb–also unofficially, 1966-1968–are the only other women to have won Boston three consecutive times.)

As for her race-day strategy, Obiri says it remains unchanged: push for the win and aim for the three-peat. It has been nearly six months since her last marathon, where she placed second at the 2024 New York City Marathon, finishing behind compatriot Sheila Chepkirui. The two-time Olympic silver medallist over 5,000m uncharacteristically faded in the final miles, just 12 weeks after earning Olympic bronze in the women’s marathon in Paris.

Unlike in New York, Obiri won’t arrive in Boston on tired legs. At Friday’s press conference, she assured the media she’s healthy, fit and ready to defend her title once again. She will be tough to beat on Monday, especially if the race comes down to endurance in the final five miles.

However, Obiri won’t have an easy path to victory. She’ll be joined on the start line by six women with sub-2:20 personal bests, including the reigning world champion, Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso. Beriso finished runner-up to Obiri in Boston in 2023 and holds the fastest PB in the field at 2:14:58. The two faced off in the Olympic marathon in Paris, where Obiri claimed bronze and Beriso finished fifth—setting the stage for yet another close battle on Monday.

Beriso will be joined by Ethiopian compatriot Yalemzerf Yehualaw, the 2022 London Marathon champion and former 10K world record holder. A few strong Kenyans will also be in the mix, including two-time Boston winner Edna Kiplagat and 2022 New York Marathon champion Sharon Lokedi. Both have impressive records in Boston, with Lokedi finishing second to Obiri in 2024 and Kiplagat earning the title in 2021.

Canadians in the elite field

If you’re looking for Canadian elite women to cheer for on Marathon Monday, Rachel Hannah of Port Elgin, Ont., has been dominating Ontario road races this spring, winning both the Chilly Half Marathon and Around the Bay 30K. With these victories, the 38-year-old has demonstrated her best form in years, setting the stage for a potentially strong performance in Boston.

Another Canadian marathoner to follow is Toronto’s Kylee Raftis, who could be poised for a breakthrough performance. She placed 36th in the Boston women’s field last year and is coming off a personal best of 2:38:45 in New York last fall.

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

How to watch

The 2025 Boston Marathon will be broadcast on TSN, beginning at 9:00 a.m. ET on Monday, April 21. The women’s open race will begin at 9:47 a.m.

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.