Boston Marathon 2026 Results for Men and Women's Top Finishers on Patriots' Day

Going back-to-back was the theme of the 2026 Boston Marathon.

John Korir defended his title in record-setting fashion in the men's race.

The 2025 champion crossed the finish line in 2:01:52, nearly one minute ahead of runner-up Alphonce Simbu. The time was also well ahead of the old all-time mark (2:03:02), which was set by Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.

Not to be outdone, Sharon Lokedi cruised past the field for her second straight victory in Boston. She finished in 2:18:51, failing to best the course record she set in 2018. She'll have to settle for the second-fastest time in the women's marathon.

Here are top five finishers in the men's and women's marathons:

Top Men's Finishers

1. John Korir (2:01:52)

2. Alphonce Simbu (2:02:47)

3. Benson Kipruto (2:02:50)

4. Hailemaryam Kiros (2:03:42)

5. Zouhair Talbi (2:03:45)

Top Women's Finishers

1. Sharon Lokedi (2:18:51)

2. Loice Chemnung (2:19:35)

3. Mary Ngugi-Cooper (2:20:07)

4. Mercy Chelangat (2:20:30)

5. Jess McClain (2:20:49)

"I had no problems from the start to the finish," Korir said matter-of-factly after race.

That's putting it lightly.

At the first split after five kilometers, Korir was hitting a speed of 13.01 mph, which averaged out to a 4:37 mile. Halfway through, his speed had climbed to 13.44 mph, and he was leading a tightly packed field.

The gap began to widen as Simbu and Benson Kipruto couldn't keep pace. With a little over 25 miles completed, Korir was still running a sub-five minute mile.

Lokedi adopted a different strategy as she made a concerted effort to conserve her energy early into the race. She hit the halfway mark at 1:11:03, well behind the pace from last year's performance.

The last five miles is where the reigning champion kicked things into gear, and there wasn't much drama about the outcome as Lokedi headed into the final stretch.

Jess McClain claimed a special place in Boston Marathon history with her fifth-place result. She overtook Irine Cheptai in the last few meters and earned a time of 2:20:49.

That's an American record.

Korir and Lokedi each received $150,000 in prize money for their wins, with Korir pocketing an additional $50,000 for breaking the course record.