Eliud Kipchoge to face former champions at 2023 Boston Marathon

On Wednesday morning, the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) announced the rest of the men’s elite field for the 127th Boston Marathon, who will compete against Eliud Kipchoge in his Boston debut. The field consists of 15 men who have run under 2:07 and three former Boston Marathon champions returning for another title. 

🦄 15 men sub-2:07⏱️
🦄 Olympic & Paralympic Medalists🏅
🦄 7 Boston Champs🏆
🦄 109 athletes from 21 countries🌎

The 2023 #BostonMarathon Men’s Professional Field is FAST! 

Read about the entire field🔗 https://t.co/rUCuuqT8jS#oneBOSTON pic.twitter.com/TzfMTyHcDp

— Boston Marathon (@bostonmarathon) January 11, 2023

The marathon world record holder will go up against the reigning Boston Marathon champion, Evans Chebet, 2021 winner Benson Kipruto, and two-time champ Lelisa Desisa. Kipruto has reached the podium in his last three major marathons, with wins coming at Boston (2021) and Chicago (2022). (He also won the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2018.) Chebet is a superb tactical racer, who will be coming into Boston in good form, having won his last two major marathons, Boston (2022) and New York (2022). Desisa has not finished a marathon in almost four years, having numerous DNFs over the past two seasons. This year will be the 10th anniversary of his first Boston title, in 2013.

Also featured on the list are Daniel Do Nascimento of Brazil and CJ Albertson of the U.S.A, who are known frontrunners. Albertson has taken things out hot in the previous two editions of Boston and has fallen off at the 30 km mark both times. Do Nascimento led the 2022 NYC Marathon for around 32 kilometres, when he collapsed on the course due to fatigue and muscle cramps. Do Nascimento is also known for giving props to Kipchoge during the Tokyo Olympic marathon.

Behind Kipchoge and Chebet, the fastest man in the field will be Gabriel Geay of Tanzania, who was a runner-up at the Valencia Marathon last month in 2:03 flat. Geay was fourth at the 2022 Boston Marathon and has familiarity with the hills in Boston. (He also won the B.A.A. 10K in 2018.)

Other notable names on the men’s elite list include 2021 New York City Marathon champion Albert Korir of Kenya and 2020 London Marathon champion Shura Kitata of Ethiopia. Kitata, a 2:04 marathoner, is the last person to beat Kipchoge–at the 2020 London Marathon–and will also be making his Boston debut. 

Scott Fauble of the U.S. will lead the way for the American contingent and will be one of the more experienced men in the race, returning for his fourth appearance at Boston. (His best result was seventh, in both 2019 and in 2022.) After a 2:08 marathon debut in Chicago in the fall, Conner Mantz will take on the Boston course for the first time. No American man has reached the podium in Boston since Shadrack Biwott in 2018.

Two Canadian men are featured on the men’s elite list. Quebec’s Simon Poulin will be the top Canadian seed, with a PB of 2:22:57 from the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon; masters athlete Dennis Mbelenzi of Halifax was one of the top Canadians at the 2022 Chicago Marathon and won marathons in Toronto and Halifax in 2022. 

All eyes will be on Kipchoge as he headlines the world’s most prestigious marathon.

The 127th Boston Marathon will be held on Monday, April 17, 2023, and will feature 30,000 runners from around the world. The complete men’s professional field can be found here, while the women’s professional field can be found here.