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Sometime during the 1800s, Julia Ward Howe wrote, The Battle Hymn of the Republic. “Boston is an oasis in the desert, a place where the larger proportion of people are loving, rational and happy.” That was then. America is currently under the spell of the Republicans. But if for only a day, Howe’s stanza may ring true during the annual Boston Marathon. Otherwise, she would be deemed irrational and metaphorically burned at the stake to say that in 2025, especially now.

The 129th edition of the event is happening on Monday, April 21 and will feature a large number of world-class athletes. Defending champions Sisay Lemma and Hellen Obiri headline. Obiri is aiming for a historic third win in a row. Lemma returns to defend his title against a deep lineup which includes former champions and a long cast of elites. If the weather holds up, the race will be fast.

Women’s race

During 1997, 1998 and 1999, Ethiopian Fatuma Roba dominated Boston. She is the last one to take three titles in a row. Obiri’s Boston personal best of 2:21:38 set last year puts her at the front of the field, but she has competition.

Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso, the 2023 world champion with a jaw-dropping personal best of 2:14:58, is going to make life difficult for Obiri. Their personal bests separate the two athletes by 2kms. The only caveat here is that Beriso ran her 2:14:58 on a faster course in Valencia three years ago. She does have one other sub-2:20:00 marathon to her credit, and that was accomplished in 2024 at the Tokyo Marathon, where she clocked 2:16:58.

Kenyan Sharon Lokedi took second last year. Her Boston personal best is 2:22:45. Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:16:52 PB), Kenya’s Irine Cheptai (2:17:51 PB) round out the top of the field.

The U.S. is led by Emma Bates, who has run Boston as fast as 2:22:10 in 2023. Keira D’Amato, the former American record-holder with a 2:19:12 best, is still kicking and will try to be the top American. Desiree Linden, the 2018 Boston champion, brings tenacity. However, 29-year-old Dakotah Popehn will look to improve on her best of 2:24:40. Gabriella Rooker has run 11 seconds faster. She, too, is seeking to run fast, to get on the world stage of marathon running.

Men’s race

Lemma is the defending champion. He is looking to be the first Ethiopian man to win consecutive Boston titles. Known for his attack-style running, the 34-year-old will likely try to run the kick out of his opponents early. He owns a personal best of 2:01:48 from Valencia in 2023.

Kenya’s John Korir (2:02:44) from the 2024 Chicago Marathon will be one of several threats during the race.

Two-time Boston winner Evans Chebet returns. The Kenyan is seeking to take back his title after a third-place finish in 2024. With a personal best of 2:03:00, Chebet’s experience makes him a perennial threat. But as we have seen with recent world-record-breaking performances, a powerful cardiac engine and expensive supershoes rule the road, inexperience is no longer a weakness.

Other athletes include Kenya’s Daniel Mateiko, who ran a 2:04:24 in Valencia, and Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana, who ran a 2:06:18 personal best in Xiamen, China.

The question on every American’s mind is, can Conner Mantz, with a 2:07:47 personal best, and Clayton Young, with his 2:08:00 in Chicago, mix it up with the Africans?

Boston 2025 should be a memorable race. The weather forecast is for a low of 8C and a high of 13C, with clouds.

Canadians are giving Boston the cold shoulder

Canada has a long history of racing in Boston. This year, due to the Trump tariffs and general disrespect for the nation’s sovereignty, many Canadians are not bothering to go south. The border agents are over the top with their detentions of innocent people.

According to the CBC article (Nearly 900,000 fewer people went to the U.S. in March as cross-border travel plummets), Canadians are staying home. Seventeen per cent fewer Canadians went to the U.S. during that period. This will continue until there is sanity on the south side of the border.

Perhaps the only Canadians in Boston, the home of the beans and the cod, are NHL hockey players and fishers gone off course.

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