Rachael Rudel won the 2026 Boston 10K for Women on Saturday in 31:12, the only runner in the field to break 32 minutes. The race, which celebrated its 50th running this year, started on Beacon Street and followed a flat, fast route through Back Bay and along the Charles River.
Rudel's winning time is the second fastest in the history of the event, behind only the course record of 31:05 set by Emily Sisson in 2025. She finished 51 seconds clear of Maggie Donahue, who was second in 32:03, with Amy Davis-Green third in 32:11.
The top ten were all American. Elly Henes (32:19), Eva Jess (32:24), Jessie Cardin (32:27), Rosina Machu (32:37), Brianna Robles (32:49), Annamaria Kostarellis (33:01) and Madelyn Wilson (33:35) completed the list. Lisa Hart of Great Britain was the first non-American, placing 12th in 33:53.
Prize money was paid to the top five finishers, with Rudel collecting $10,000, Donahue $7,000 and Davis-Green $5,000. The women-only race has long been a fixture of the autumn calendar in Boston and a useful marker for American 10K form in the build to the winter road-racing season.
A half-century of the race gave it extra significance, and a winning time within seven seconds of the course record gave the anniversary a strong result. Rudel now has one of the strongest 10K credentials in the US heading into the new year.