2026 Boston Marathon Women's Results | Sharon Lokedi Defends Title with 2:18:51
Sharon Lokedi won her second consecutive Boston Marathon title on April 20, 2026, with a time of 2:18:51. Full women's results, race breakdown, and analysis from Boylston Street.
· 5 min read · Rankings & Data
Sharon Lokedi crossed the Boylston Street finish line in **2:18:51** on April 20, 2026, defending her Boston Marathon title and cementing herself as one of the most consistent big-race performers on the circuit right now.
The women's race was one of the deepest Boston fields in recent memory - with six runners finishing inside 2:22 and a strong American contingent that produced a new US women's course record at Boston.
The top 3 breakdown
Loice Chemnung finished second in **2:19:35** and Mary Ngugi-Cooper third in **2:20:07** - both Kenyans. The top three positions on the podium went to Kenya, which tells you everything about where Kenyan women's marathon running sits right now.
The story of the day for American fans was Jess McClain in fifth. She ran **2:20:49** - a new American women's course record at Boston. That's not a small result. Boston is a course that demands specific preparation and McClain executed her race perfectly.
Key highlights
- Sharon Lokedi becomes a back-to-back Boston champion - **Jess McClain (5th, 2:20:49)** sets a new American women's course record at Boston - Six women finished inside 2:22 in the same race - Kenya swept the podium - Lokedi, Chemnung, Ngugi-Cooper all from Kenya - US runners Annie Frisbie (8th, 2:22:00) and Emily Sisson (9th, 2:22:39) both ran strong in a competitive field
Full results
| # | Time | Athlete | Country | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | 1 | **2:18:51** | Sharon Lokedi | 🇰🇪 KEN | | 2 | **2:19:35** | Loice Chemnung | 🇰🇪 KEN | | 3 | **2:20:07** | Mary Ngugi-Cooper | 🇰🇪 KEN | | 4 | **2:20:30** | Mercy Chelangat | 🇰🇪 KEN | | 5 | **2:20:49** | Jess McClain | 🇺🇸 USA | | 6 | **2:20:54** | Irine Cheptai | 🇰🇪 KEN | | 7 | **2:21:52** | Workenesh Edesa | 🇪🇹 ETH | | 8 | **2:22:00** | Annie Frisbie | 🇺🇸 USA | | 9 | **2:22:39** | Emily Sisson | 🇺🇸 USA | | 10 | **2:22:53** | Carrie Ellwood | 🇺🇸 USA |
What this race tells us about women's marathon running
The depth in this field was exceptional. Four Americans in the top ten is a result that would have been almost unthinkable at a World Marathon Major five years ago. The USA has been building women's marathon depth for a while - and races like this show it's paying off.
Lokedi's back-to-back title is harder than it sounds. Boston changes every year. Weather, field, pacing - nothing is guaranteed. Running 2:18:51 to win again, with a field this deep, requires both fitness and experience.
The gap between 1st and 10th place here was just over four minutes. That's a tight, competitive race - not a runaway victory followed by a long tail of finishers. The women's marathon is genuinely getting faster and deeper at the same time.
What this means for your training
American women's marathon running is in a strong place - and everyday runners can learn from what makes these athletes tick:
1. Negative splitting through adversity. Boston's second half is harder than the first - hills, fatigue, and the mental battle all compound. The athletes who run their best marathons on this course are the ones who have trained to hold form late. Use our [Race Predictor](/tools/race-predictor) to work out what time you should target given your current fitness. 2. Course-specific prep matters. McClain's American course record wasn't a fluke - it came from specific preparation for a point-to-point hilly course. If your A-race has a distinctive profile, train on terrain that matches it. 3. Consistency over time. Lokedi's back-to-back win is built on years of consistent training. Build your running base week by week using our [Run Planner](/run-planner) and the results compound.
For the full picture of how women's marathon times have evolved, check out our [Women's Marathon Year Best Rankings](/blog/marathon-women).
**Find races:** Browse [marathons and road races in the United States](/races/country/united-states) on Your Run Guide, including Boston Marathon weekend events and other major US road races.
Official results and sources
Full results: [Boston Athletic Association official results](https://www.baa.org/races/boston-marathon/results)
Source: [2026 Boston Marathon - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_Boston_Marathon)
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