Ethiopia’s Fentaye Belayneh, two-time defending champion, leads the women’s field for the Boston Half Marathon. Belayneh, who won in 2024 and 2025, aims for a historic third win. Her recent Houston Half Marathon time of 1:04:49 is the fastest in the field.

Belayneh’s previous Boston wins were close, finishing just one second ahead in 2024 and two seconds ahead in 2025. Her track background includes being the African 5,000m champion. Germany’s Melat Kejeta and Ethiopia’s Sentayehu Lewetegn also feature strong times. Read more culture coverage.

The men’s field is led by Abel Kipchumba, with a 58:07 best time. Habtom Samuel, who has won three major U.S. races this year, and Mohammed El Youssfi, with a Moroccan record, are also notable contenders. The race expects nearly 9,000 runners. Related: Kipchumba aims to break own record at Amsterdam Marathon.

This original Runner World brief is based on reporting from Marathon Handbook. Visit the source for its complete reporting, context and any later corrections.