6 Boston Marathon Champs to Compete for the Women’s Titles in 2019
The Boston Athletic Association announced the athlete roster for its 2019 Boston Marathon international fields on January 10, 2019.
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The 123rd Boston Marathon is 94 days away—and that means it’s about time for speculation to begin on how the races will shake out amongst its professional competitors. Earlier today, the Boston Athletic Association announced the list of 15 pro women who will be traveling to Boston to vie for victory. Including the men’s race and wheelchair divisions, 82 pros—some of whom are Olympians, Paralympians, World Champions and former Abbott World Marathon Majors winners—will line up at the start on April 15, including defending Boston Marathon champions Desiree Linden, Yuki Kawauchi, Tatyana McFadden and Marcel Hug.
Now that the full international elite field is available for perusal (the BAA announced the American pros who intend to compete late last year), debates among fans can begin. Will Linden successfully defend her title, becoming the first American woman since Sara Mae Berman in 1971 to win two years in a row? Might Jordan Hasay, who clocked the fastest marathon debut by an American woman on the Boston course in 2017, rebound after her last-minute 2018 withdrawal and smoke the field by improving upon her speedy 2:20:57 PR? (For comparison’s sake, the marathon record for American woman is 2:19:36, set by Deena Kastor in 2006.) Or will an international contender, such as 2017 Boston Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya or third-place 2018 finisher Krista DuChene of Canada, hold off the competition to claim the win?
It’s too soon to predict, but we’re pretty confident that most of the pros will be rooting for friendlier weather than the Boston Marathon course endured during last year’s race. As race day creeps closer, stay tuned as Women’s Running delivers updates from your favorite pros by checking in with our News page—and in the meantime, browse the BAA’s list of international female competitors below.
Boston Marathon International Pro Women’s Field
- Meskerem Assefa (Ethiopia)
- Sharon Cherop (Kenya)*
- Sarah Crouch (USA)
- Worknesh Degefa (Ethiopia)
- Mare Dibaba (Ethiopia)
- Alyson Dixon (Great Britain)
- Krista DuChene (Canada)
- Lindsay Flanagan (USA)
- Sara Hall (USA)
- Jordan Hasay (USA)
- Edna Kiplagat (Kenya)*
- Sally Kipyego (USA)
- Desiree Linden (USA)*
- Marta Megra (Ethiopia)
- Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia)
- Belaynesh Oljira (Ethiopia)
- Caroline Rotich (Kenya)*
- Betsy Saina (Kenya)
- Sarah Sellers (USA)
- Eva Vrabcova (Czech Republic)
- Mary Wacera (Kenya)
- Becky Wade (USA)
Boston Marathon International Pro Women’s Field – Wheelchair Division
- Eliza Ault-Connell (Australia)
- Aline de Rocha (Brazil)
- Madison De Rozario (Australia)
- Katrina Gerhard (USA)
- Sandra Graf (Switzerland)
- Tatyana McFadden (USA)*
- Amanda McGrory (USA)
- Arielle Rausin (USA)
- Diane Roy (Canada)
- Susannah Scaroni (USA)
- Manuela Schar (Switzerland)*
- Margriet Van Den Broek (Netherlands)
- Michelle Wheeler (USA)
*Past Boston Marathon winners