By Daniela L. Ginsburg
Boston University News Service
The 2025 Boston Marathon will be held today, and as the 129th marathon begins, last year’s winners are set to return and defend their positions.
Last year’s winner for the women’s race was Hellen Obiri, a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner, who won the 2024 race by a time of 2:22:37, beating Sharon Lokedi to first place by 8 seconds, defending her 2023 title.
In 2023, Obiri won her first race with a time of 2:21:38, beating Amane Beriso by 12 seconds. She aims to become the first woman since Fatuma Roba in 1997-1999 to three-peat.
“Defending the title was not easy. Since Boston started, it’s only six women. So I said, ’Can I be one of them?’ If you want to be one of them, you have to work extra hard,” Obiri said in an interview with WBUR. “And I’m so happy because I’m now one of them. I’m now in the history books in Boston.”
At 35 years old, Obiri has won three Olympic medals, an individual medalist in seven-time world championships and holds the Kenyan record in the 3,000 meters. She is also the defending champion of the TCS New York City Marathon.
Last year’s winner for the men’s race was Sisay Lemma, an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who won the 2024 race with a time of 2:06:17, beating Mohamed Esa by 41 seconds and making the 10th fastest running time in Boston history.
“I was very happy after winning the Boston Marathon last year, and in 2025 I know it will be an even bigger challenge to win again,” Lemma said in an interview with the Boston Athletic Association.
Lemma’s win was seen as a redemption from his participation in the 2022 marathon when he was unable to complete the race.
At the age of 34, he won the 2021 London championship and currently holds the time for the fourth fastest man in history.
Both wins were secured differently, with Obiri defending her title by surging past her opponents in the later stages. Lemma secured his win by building a lead of more than half a mile at the beginning of the race
The 2025 race began at 7:15 a.m. in Hopkinton, ending in Boylston Street around 7:00 p.m.
