The women's field at the 130th Boston Marathon has quietly assembled into something extraordinary. For the first time in the event's history, the entire 2024 US Olympic Marathon team — Emily Sisson, Fiona O'Keeffe, and Dakotah Popehn — will line up together in the same race at Boston, creating a uniquely powerful American presence in an international field that includes 11 women who have broken 2:20 for the marathon.
Sisson's Boston debut is the headline. The American record holder (2:18:29 from Chicago 2022) has never raced the point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Boylston Street, and her arrival represents the first time a female American marathon record holder has competed at Boston since Deena Kastor in 2018. Sisson's combination of raw speed and tactical intelligence makes her a genuine contender for the podium, not just the top American position.
Defending champion Sharon Lokedi starts as the favourite after her dominant 2025 victory, and the Kenyan knows the course intimately. She is joined by compatriots Vivian Cheruiyot and Irine Cheptai, while Ethiopians Workenesh Edesa and Bedatu Hirpa add further depth to a field that could produce multiple sub-2:20 performances if the conditions cooperate. The absence of Hellen Obiri — skipping Boston for the first time — removes one layer of Kenyan dominance but does little to diminish the overall quality.
O'Keeffe's inclusion adds tactical intrigue. The Stanford graduate and Olympic Trials champion showed in 2024 that she possesses the racing intelligence to compete with anyone on any course, and Boston's hills play to her cross-country background. Popehn, the quietly impressive third member of the Olympic team, completes an American contingent that gives the US its strongest collective presence in a major marathon women's field in years. The race on April 20 has the ingredients for a landmark day in American women's distance running.