© Copyright – 2021 – Athletics Illustrated

The fall 2021 marathon season will be like no other. With the London and Boston marathons moved from springtime to the fall and with the usual events returning, there will be a race of note nearly every weekend.

The BMW Berlin Marathon is taking place on Sunday, Sept. 29. London, typically run in April will now go on Oct. 4. Boston has been announced for Oct. 11 – typically a President’s Day event. Chicago, offering a fast course is happening the day before on Oct. 10. Paris, Detroit, Marine Corps, and several others are expected to go in October, as well as, of course, the big iconic fall marathon in New York City on Nov. 7, as well as the fun Rock ‘n Roll Las Vegas event.

The second-fastest all-time at the distance Kenenisa Bekele, who was left off the Ethiopian marathon team for Tokyo, will be running the Berlin Marathon. One year after Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge clocked the world record (2018) in the time of 2:01.39, Bekele, in less than ideal conditions ran a 2:01:41 at Berlin. At age 39, and after one of the greatest careers in athletics, it will be interesting to see if Bekele can run sub-2:02 still.

Boston’s elite fields announced

Eight women listed have run sub-2:22 during their careers. The field is led by 31-year-old Ethiopian, Yebrgual Melese, who has run as fast as 2:19:36. Three sub-2:10 American men are slated to start the race. The lists go in order of personal best:

Women

Yebrgual Melese2:19:36 (Dubai, 2018)Ethiopia
Edna Kiplagat^2:19:50 (London, 2012)Kenya
Mare Dibaba2:19:52 (Dubai, 2012)Ethiopia
Workenesh Edesa2:20:24 (Valencia, 2019)Ethiopia
Sutume Kebede2:20:30 (Tokyo, 2020)Ethiopia
Jordan Hasay2:20:57 (Chicago, 2017)USA
Besu Sado2:21:03 (Amsterdam, 2019)Ethiopia
Helah Kiprop2:21:27 (Tokyo, 2016)Kenya
Bedatu Hirpa2:21:32 (Frankfurt, 2018)Ethiopia
Atsede Baysa2:22:03 (Chicago, 2012)Ethiopia
Diana Chemtai Kipyogei2:22:06 (Istanbul, 2020)Kenya
Desiree Linden2:22:38 (Boston, 2011)USA
Biruktayit Eshetu2:22:40 (Toronto, 2019)Ethiopia
Tigist Abayechew2:22:45 (Dubai, 2020)Ethiopia
Purity Changwony2:22:46 (Ampugnano, 2021)Kenya
Caroline Rotich2:23:22 (Chicago, 2012)Kenya
Molly Huddle2:26:33 (London, 2019)USA
Mary Ngugi2:27:36 (New York City, 2019)Kenya
Nell Rojas2:28:09 (Duluth, 2019)USA
Paige Stoner2:28:43 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Shiho Kaneshige2:28:51 (Osaka, 2020)Japan
Dakotah Lindwurm2:29:04 (Duluth, 2021)USA
Netsanet Gudeta2:29:15 (Paris, 2017)Ethiopia
Kellys Arias2:29:36 (Hamburg, 2016) NRColombia
Julia Griffey2:29:58 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Tish Jones2:31:00 (London, 2019)Great Britain
Bethany Sachtleben2:31:20 (Lima, 2019)USA
Dot McMahan^2:31:48 (Duluth, 2011)USA
Sydney Devore2:32:39 (Pittsburgh, 2018)USA
Hilary Dionne2:33:03 (Sacramento, 2018)USA
Brittany Charboneau2:33:14 (Atlanta, 2020)USA
Dawn Grunnagle^2:33:14 (Berlin, 2019)USA
Susannah Sullivan2:33:27 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Heather Lieberg^2:34:07 (St. Paul, 2019)USA
Caitlin Phillips2:34:43 (Berlin, 2019)USA
Laurie Knowles^2:36:01 (Chicago, 2016)USA
Courtney Olson2:36:21 (Sacramento, 2018)USA
Brittany Moran2:36:22 (Sacramento, 2019)Canada
Marie Brumelot2:36:23 (Chicago, 2019)France
Emma Spencer2:37:05 (Berlin, 2018)USA
Rachel Hyland2:37:22 (Sacramento, 2018)USA
Andrea Pomaranski2:37:39 (Duluth, 2021)USA
AnnMarie Kirkpatrick2:37:49 (Sacramento, 2018)USA
Gina Rouse^2:38:41 (Atlanta, 2020)USA
Nina Zarina2:38:50 (Duluth, 2021)USA
Devon Yanko2:38:55 (Houston, 2012)USA
Jordan O’Dea2:38:57 (Lowell, 2019)USA
Christina Murphy^2:39:15 (Columbus, 2013)USA
Lindsay Nelson2:39:33 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Hilary Corno^2:42:14 (Chicago, 2018)USA
Caroline ChepkoechDebut (1:05:07 Half)Kazakhstan
Monicah WanjuhiDebut (1:07:29 Half)Kenya
Elaina TabbDebut (1:10:44 Half)USA

Men

Athletes with ^ next to their names are Masters (40+) athletes

MEN’S OPEN DIVISION

MENPERSONAL BESTCOUNTRY
Asefa Mengstu2:04:06 (Dubai, 2018)Ethiopia
Lemi Berhanu2:04:33 (Dubai, 2016)Ethiopia
Benson Kipruto2:05:13 (Toronto, 2019)Kenya
Wilson Chebet2:05:27 (Rotterdam, 2011)Kenya
Filex Kiprotich2:05:33 (Daegu, 2019)Kenya
Dejene Debela2:05:46 (Chicago, 2019)Ethiopia
Thomas Kiplagat2:06:00 (Seoul, 2019)Kenya
Felix Kandie2:06:03 (Seoul, 2017)Kenya
Paul Lonyangata2:06:10 (Paris, 2017)Kenya
Tsedat Ayana2:06:18 (Dubai, 2020)Ethiopia
Geoffrey Kirui2:06:27 (Amsterdam, 2016)Kenya
Yuki Kawauchi2:07:27 (Otsu, 2021)Japan
Abrar Osman2:07:46 (Amsterdam, 2019)Eritrea
Jake Robertson2:08:26 (Otsu, 2018)New Zealand
Bayelign Teshager2:08:28 (Los Angeles, 2020)Ethiopia
Abdi Abdirahman^2:08:56 (Chicago, 2006)USA
Scott Fauble2:09:09 (Boston, 2019)USA
Colin Bennie2:09:38 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Scott Smith2:09:46 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Stephen Scullion2:09:49 (London, 2020)Ireland
Augustus Maiyo2:10:47 (Atlanta, 2020)USA
Dylan Wykes2:10:47 (Rotterdam, 2012)Canada
Parker Stinson2:10:53 (Chicago, 2019)USA
Matt McDonald2:11:10 (Chicago, 2019)USA
CJ Albertson2:11:18 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Eric Gillis^2:11:21 (Toronto, 2014)Canada
Reid Buchanan2:11:38 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Jonas Hampton2:12:10 (Atlanta, 2020)USA
Tyler Pennel2:12:34 (Atlanta, 2020)USA
Tyler Jermann2:12:40 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Rory Linkletter2:12:54 (Chandler, 2020)Canada
Peter Gilmore^2:13:13 (New York, 2006)USA
Sam Kosgei2:13:26 (Sacramento, 2017)USA
Jarrett Leblanc2:13:51 (Sacramento, 2018)USA
Nico Montanez2:14:07 (Chandler, 2020)USA
Tim Young2:14:16 (Sacramento, 2017)USA
Carlos Trujillo2:14:21 (Chicago, 2012)Guatemala
Luke Humphrey^2:14:39 (San Diego, 2011)USA
Nitendra Rawat Singh2:15:18 (Guwahati, 2016)India
Daniel Ortiz Perez2:15:41 (Valencia, 2020)Mexico
Luis Carlos Rivero2:15:43 (Seville, 2020)Guatemala
Thomas Toth2:16:28 (Toronto, 2019)Canada
Pardon Ndhlovu2:16:47 (Houston, 2019)Zimbabwe
Brian Harvey2:17:05 (St. Paul, 2014)USA
Alex Taylor^2:17:08 (Duluth, 2019)USA
David Bett2:17:30 (Rabat, 2016)Kenya
Patrick Reaves2:17:45 (Sacramento, 2018)USA
Peter Bromka^2:19:04 (Sacramento, 2019)USA
Chip O’Hara^2:21:20 (Tempe, 2020)USA
Eric Blake^2:22:49 (Sacramento, 2018)USA
Blue Bendum^2:23:43 (Boston, 2014)USA
Jemal YimerDebut (58:33 Half NR)Ethiopia
Leonard BarsotonDebut (59:09 Half)Kenya
Harvey NelsonDebut (1:01:48 Half)USA
Girma MechesoDebut (1:02:16 Half)USA
Paul HoganDebut (1:04:23 Half)USA