Article by Rabbi Benjamin David
2025 Boston Marathon Preview
Following a harsh winter, amid the endless turmoil of our complex world, the Boston Marathon arrives on the third Monday of every April.
In the immortal words of Joni Mitchell: ‘And the painted ponies go up and down; we’re captive on a carousel of time.’ Indeed, with great unrest in untold places, the Boston Marathon comes roaring round on the carousel (for the 129th time), reminding us that not all is enmity and tension.
For many, the third Monday in April - Patriot’s Day - is a day as important as any other. It reminds us that there is still good. There are still reasons to be hopeful. There are still days that fill the spirit with awe and wonder. Let’s get to it.
The Women
International Field
To put it simply, this year’s women’s field is LOADED. Seven competitors come in with PRs under 2:20.
Two Ethiopians, Amane Beriso and Yalemzerf Yehualaw, boast the fastest personal bests of the group. Beriso’s 2:14:58 is the fifth fastest all-time. It’s a time that would have seemed unthinkable a mere twenty years ago (and yet is still five minutes slower than the current world record!!). Beriso lost to Helen Obiri in 2023 by all of twelve seconds following an epic battle. Obiri, who took bronze in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, has won the last two Boston Marathons and will no doubt contend for a third. Her racing instincts are perhaps unrivaled, which we saw not only two years ago, but last year too, when she made her move at the exact right moment and outsprinted perennial gamer Sharon Lokedi by just four seconds.
Look for these four women - Beriso, Yehualaw, Obiri and Lokedi - to once again vie for the victory.
If they’re too focused on each other, they could get a scare (or more than that) from Kenyan Irine Cheptai or Ethiopian Rahma Tusa. Boston always brings a surprise or two.
If we’re looking beyond east Africa to Europe, Great Britain’s Calli Hauger-Thackery has run 1:06:58 for the half and won the Gate River Run 15K in Florida in March, beating a world-class field. She could (maybe) be a potential spoiler on Patriot’s Day.
American Field
The American field reads like a who’s-who of superstars: Keira D’Amato, Sara Hall, Emma Bates, Des Linden, Dakotah Popehn, Sara Vaughn, Annie Frisbee, Stephanie Bruce… Then add some of the up-and-comers, like Gabi Rooker, Lauren Hagans, Jess McClain, Tristin Colley… and surely there will be a few who have a big day on April 21.
Will it be Des Linden, who won here in 2018, amid a torrential downpour? Will it be Emma Bates, back from injury and looking strong? Will it be Sara Hall, a crowd favorite who just missed out on making the Paris Olympic team, finishing fifth in the marathon? Will it be Jess McClain, who finished fourth in that same marathon, only to then finish fourth in the 10K at the track trials a few months later? (How can those two fourth-place finishes not fuel her?) Will Sara Vaughn continue to re-ignite her storied career after finishing as top American at NYC in November? Keira D’Amato will be one to watch as she has switched to Coach Ed Eyestone in Utah and trains in the same group with Conner Mantz and Clayton Young. She seems due for a big performance. These women know what it means to win the Boston Marathon. It not only makes a good career great, but etches your name in history itself. I will also be paying attention to Melissa Perlman, who comes in with a PR of 2:42 and continues to inspire as well as RTR’s Sally Reiley, who continues to contend for a podium in the 65-69 age group. Coming off an injury free winter of solid training will this be the year for Sally?
Podium and Time Predictions
Yehualaw - 2:19:09
Obiri - 2:20:00
D’Amato - 2:21:58
The Men
International Field
The Boston Athletic Association continues to recruit the world’s fastest men to the starting line in Hopkinton. Returning champ Sissay Lemma leads a host of east Africans who have run under 2:05. Can he win again? Or will Kenyans John Korir and Evans Chebet take the day?
Chebet has a PR of 2:03 and has won previously at New York and Boston. Can he take down Lemma, whose PR of 2:01 cannot be overlooked. Last year, Lemma obliterated the field, building a lead of over a minute. He faded in the end but hung on for the win.
He’ll have his hands full not only with the Kenyans but Ugandan Victor Kiplangat and his fellow Ethiopian, Haymanot Alew, who was third in Berlin in the fall. Will Lemma run more conservatively this year? Or will he employ the same tactic that ultimately worked for him last year? Would Chebet or Korir go with him this time? We shall see.
Other international names to consider are Rory Linkletter of Canada, Patrick Tiernan of Australia and Tebello Ramakongoana of Lesotho. The aura of Boston is so real that it tends to propel people to fast times and higher-than-expected finishes. Let’s see what this year brings.
American Field
The American field is headlined by training partners and fellow BYU alum, Conner Mantz and Clatyon Young. They went 1-2 in the marathon trials in Orlando a year ago. They both finished in the top ten at the Paris games. They finished as top Americans in NYC this past fall.
Mantz, a Nike athlete, will surely be one to watch, following his record-setting half marathons in Houston and NYC this winter, where he ran 59:17 and 59:15 respectively. He is hungry, fit and ready to roll. He races without fear and surely will stay with the leaders as long as he is able. Could we see the first American winner since Meb Keflezghi in 2014?
Mantz and Young will be joined by such alpha Americans as CJ Albertson, who also races without fear and often rushes to the front of the Boston field (as he did in 2022 and 2023), Zach Panning, who led much of the Olympic trials in Orlando before fading, Colin Bennie, Reed Fischer, Nathan Martin, Ryan Ford and Colin Mickow, any of whom could have a big day. Once more we come to Boston with high hopes for American runners.
I’ll also be pulling for my brother, Adam David, who - at 44 - will aim to dip under 2:50 for the first time.
Podium and Time Predictions
Chebet - 2:06:19
Kiplangat - 2:06:56
Mantz - 2:07:11
The Shoes
No RTR preview would be complete without some commentary on gear. What will be the story of this year’s Boston Marathon when it comes to shoes? Will we see more AlphayFly’s than VaporFly’s than prior years? I would bet we will. Will more beyond podium contenders be in adidas Adios Pro 4? Will it be the Asics MetaSpeed Sky or Edge? Will there be those racing in the newly-minted Tracksmith Elliot Racer? Will Saucony runners opt for the more aggressive Endorphin Elite 1 over the mellower Elite 2? What about On and Brooks?
What will be the trends? It used to be highly Nike-centric at these major marathons. I believe that this is changing now as multiple brands catch up. Either way, I can’t wait for Patriots Day to finally be here.
Ben is the Senior Rabbi of Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel of Elkins Park, PA. A cancer survivor, he has run 23 marathons. He holds PRs of 3:15 for the marathon and 1:30 for the half. At 46, he still enjoys pushing himself and combining his running with supporting a variety of causes. Follow him on Instagram: @RabbiBPD or Twitter: @BDinPA
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