Depth Added to Professional Fields for 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America

March 14, 2024

BOSTON/ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – The Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A.) has announced the addition of seven athletes to the professional athlete field for the 128^th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. Among those now entered will be a pair of Boston Marathon champions, two top-five finishers from February’s U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon and a global gold medalist on the track.

Set to compete at the 128^th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America are:

• Sara Hall, the fifth-place finisher at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon, where she set a national masters record of 2:26:06. Hall was the 2017 U.S. national champion at the marathon distance, and in 2022 placed fifth at the World Athletics Championships Marathon. Her lifetime marathon best is 2:20:32.
• Caroline Rotich, the 2015 Boston Marathon champion. Originally from Kenya, Rotich began representing the USA in October, 2023, and finished sixth at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon in February in 2:26:10. Rotich’s marathon best is 2:23:22.
• Jenny Simpson, the 2011 World Athletics Championships gold medalist in the 1500m and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. While she did not finish her marathon debut at the Olympic Trials, Simpson will take her second attempt at the 26.2-mile distance in Boston.
• Elkanah Kibet, the fourth-place finisher at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon, finished just five seconds shy of the podium in a lifetime best 2:10:02. Kibet has a pair of top-ten finishes in Boston (8^th place in 2018, 9^th in 2022) and was 11^th at last year’s TCS New York City Marathon.
• Sam Chelanga, a 2:08:50 marathoner, will race his second Boston Marathon. Chelanga’s lifetime best comes from a 9^th place showing at the 2023 Bank of America Chicago Marathon. He placed 30^th (2:20:20) at Boston last year. Chelanga’s older brother, Joshua, placed third at the 2001 Boston Marathon.
• Masazumi Soejima, winner of the Boston Marathon’s Wheelchair Division in 2007 and 2011. From Japan, Soejima most recently placed runner-up in 2019.
• Siranesh Yirga, winner of four marathoners between 2022 and 2023, will make her Boston debut. From Ethiopia, Yirga has won the Lagos, Madrid, Ljubljana, and Shanghai Marathons, and finished third at last year’s Dubai Marathon. Her lifetime best is 2:21:08.

The above athletes join the previously announced men’s and women’s professional field. 2018 champion Des Linden, 2023 fifth-place finisher Emma Bates, world 50K record holder CJ Albertson, and Team B.A.A. High Performance member Matt McDonald have all been previously announced as part of the American contingent for the Bank of America Professional Athlete Team. A full professional field list can be found here.

Additionally, Team USA Olympic Marathoner Dakotah Lindwurm will race the Boston 5K presented by Point32Health on Saturday, April 13. Lindwurm qualified for her first Olympic team by finishing third at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon. The complete Boston 5K professional fields will be announced soon.

Also in Boston as part of race weekend –though not competing—will be Conner Mantz and Clayton Young, the top-two finishers at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials on the men’s side. Both qualified for their first U.S. Olympic Teams in February.

“The depth and pure talent lining up at the start in Hopkinton gets even better with the addition of these athletes,” said Jack Fleming, President and Chief Executive Officer of the B.A.A. “Many fan favorites will be racing for the podium and Champion’s Trophy on Patriots’ Day. Thrilling races are expected in the Open, Wheelchair, and Para Athletics Divisions.”

Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa and Zeinba Yimer, as well as Eritrea’s Nazret Weldu, have withdrawn from the women’s field. On the men’s side, Kenya’s Ronald Korir and Eritrea’s Filmon Ande have withdrawn.

The 128^th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America will be held on Monday, April 15, 2024. A field of 30,000 participants will compete, hailing from 123 countries and all 50 U.S. states.

ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.) 

Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 15, 2024. The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit www.baa.org.

MEDIA CONTACT

Chris Lotsbom

Director of Race Communications & Media

Clotsbom@baa.org

Lorna Campbell

Head of Public Relations

Lcampbell@baa.org