Eritrean Habtom Samuel won the 2026 Boston Half Marathon in a course-record time of 59:49 on Sunday. It was the first time a man had broken the one-hour barrier at the event.
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Fentaye Belayneh became the first woman to win the Boston Half Marathon in three consecutive years. She recorded a winning time of 1:09:14.
Samuel’s course-record performance earned him an additional $10,000.
Samuel separated himself from the competition after the 15 km mark. Chasing him were 2023 champion Abel Kipchumba of Kenya and 2025 third-place finisher Andrea Kiptoo.
“I knew when we were just crossing the 10 km mark, we were on for the course record. I saw there was a possibility. I knew the first 10 km was very flat and downhill, but the second half was the hardest part of the course. I said, ‘I’m going to fight for the course record.’ And I knew when we crossed, I knew I got the course record.”
Samuel’s winning time was 45 seconds faster than the previous record of 1:00:34, set in 2013 by two-time Boston Marathon champion Lelisa Desisa.
Kiptoo finished second in 1:01:03, while Kipchumba placed third in 1:01:16. The top American was Jack Aho, who clocked 1:01:53 to finish sixth.
Women’s Race
In the women’s race, Belayneh kicked hard over the closing stages to edge Kenyan Winfred Mbithe by two seconds.
American Kassie Parker took the early lead, while the chase group remained patient. Parker passed 5 km in 16:38 and 10 km in 33:02. Belayneh, meanwhile, bided her time before unleashing her finishing kick.
Ethiopia’s Sintayehu Lewetegn finished third in 1:09:26.
“I come here because I know the event is great,” the Ethiopian star said through an interpreter after finishing. “I love the atmosphere, and I’ve won twice before.”
Her personal best is 1:04:49, set at the Houston Half Marathon in January 2026.
The top American was Sydney Vaught, who finished fifth in 1:09:44.
Results
| Place | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fentaye Belayneh | ETH | 1:09:14 |
| 2 | Winfred Mbithe | KEN | 1:09:16 |
| 3 | Sintayehu Lewetegn | ETH | 1:09:26 |
| 4 | Melat Kejeta | GER | 1:09:29 |
| 5 | Sydney Vaught | USA | 1:09:44 |
| 6 | Vibian Chepkirui | KEN | 1:09:49 |
| 7 | Megan Hasz-Sailor | USA | 1:09:53 |
| 8 | Mercy Cherono | KEN | 1:10:04 |
| 9 | Kassie Parker | USA | 1:11:10 |
| 10 | Zaida Ramos | CAN | 1:13:01 |
| 11 | Erin McDonald | USA | 1:13:37 |
| 12 | Madey Dickson | USA | 1:14:05 |
| 13 | Anne-Marie Comeau | CAN | 1:14:18 |
| 14 | Thalia Valdivia | PER | 1:14:22 |
| 15 | Ruby Krasnow | USA | 1:14:25 |
| 16 | Chloe Whiting | USA | 1:15:30 |
| 17 | Megan Connolly | USA | 1:17:42 |
| 18 | Jasmine Trott | GBR | 1:19:00 |
| 19 | Nina Usubyan | ARM | 1:19:24 |
| 20 | Alyssa Natario | USA | 1:19:02 |
TOP RESULTS MEN’S HALF MARATHON
| Place | Athlete | Country | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Habtom Samuel | ERI | 59:49 |
| 2 | Andrea Kiptoo | KEN | 1:01:03 |
| 3 | Abel Kipchumba | KEN | 1:01:16 |
| 4 | Mohammed El Youssfi | MAR | 1:01:29 |
| 5 | Amon Kemboi | KEN | 1:01:46 |
| 6 | Jack Aho | USA | 1:01:53 |
| 7 | Ethan Shuley | USA | 1:02:14 |
| 8 | Wesley Kiptoo | USA | 1:03:03 |
| 9 | James Mwaura | USA | 1:03:10 |
| 10 | Assaf Harari | ISR | 1:03:21 |
| 11 | James Quattlebaum | USA | 1:03:30 |
| 12 | Peter Walsdorf | USA | 1:03:37 |
| 13 | Sam Lawler | USA | 1:03:46 |
| 14 | William Amponsah | IND | 1:04:03 |
| 15 | Frank Lujan | PER | 1:05:02 |
| 16 | Nicholas Bendtsen | USA | 1:06:07 |
| 17 | Paul Arredondo | USA | 1:06:39 |
| 18 | Noah Stevenson | USA | 1:06:45 |
| 19 | Matt Lenehan | USA | 1:06:47 |
| 20 | Adam Quinn | USA | 1:07:18 |
