Boston Women’s elite preview

After leading for much of the race last year, Shalane Flanagan is likely looking this year to become the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon since 1985, but she’ll have to contend with some of the world’s top marathon runners.

Likely the top runner on the start line this year is Ethiopian Mare Dibaba. She holds the fastest personal best in the field with 2:19:52, set earlier this year in her second Xiamen Marathon win in as many years. She also won Chicago last fall, though she hasn’t had as much success in Boston, finishing third last year behind Rita Jeptoo and Buzunesh Deba.

Deba, a New York City crowd favourite (the Ethiopian lives in the Bronx), is back in Boston this year to chase her first major win after three times finishing second – twice in New York and last year in Boston. Her personal best of 2:19:59 is the second woman with a personal best under 2:20.

Aberu Kebede is the second major marathon champ lining up in Boston and possibly the top threat to Dibaba, having twice won in Berlin and last fall in Frankfurt. Kebede holds a personal best of 2:20:30 from her 2012 Berlin win. She also won in Tokyo in 2013, though this will be her first appearance on the Boston course.

Flanagan sets hopes high for America marathon fans. A year after Meb Keflezighi won the race for an American for the first time in three decades, Flanagan looks poised to challenge for a top spot. She faded to a distance seventh towards the end of the race in 2014, though still finished with a PB. Following up, her 2014 fall marathon in Berlin saw her run another PB of 2:21:21. If she is in good shape, the American may be in a spot to compete for the win.

Another to watch will be Shure Demise Ware. At only 19 years old the Ethiopian is untested in marathon majors, though her debut 2:20:59 run in Dubai placed her fourth and was good for a world junior record. A strong finish can’t be ruled out for the youngster.

The women’s race on Sunday gets started be before the men at 9:30 a.m. EDT.