Organisers of next year’s Boston Marathon have announced a star-studded lineup that includes world champions, world record holders and six Boston Marathon winners.

“The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) is bringing the world’s best to Boston to compete on the renowned 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Boston,” said Mary Kate Shea, BAA Director of Professional Athletes & Technical Support.

 “World record holder and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, World Champion Gotytom Gebreslase and six Boston Marathon winners will challenge themselves, each other and a deep field of accomplished athletes on our sport’s famed stage,” Shea added.

Defending Boston Marathon champion Evans Chebet, 2021 winner Benson Kipruto, and two-time victor Lelisa Desisa (2013 and 2015) will be part of a historically deep men’s open division. Among the returning champions in the women’s field are Linden (2018), Edna Kiplagat (2017) and Atsede Baysa (2016). 

As the fastest marathoner in history, Kipchoge will take on the challenging Boston Marathon course with hopes of earning his eleventh win at an Abbott World Marathon Majors event.

Kipchoge’s last marathon resulted in a new world record when he timed 2:01:09 for the win at September’s Berlin Marathon.

Exhibition event

Kipchoge’s lifetime best is 1:59:40, run at the INEOS 1:59 challenge exhibition event in 2019 where he became the first man ever to cover the distance in under two hours.

Kipchoge looks to become the only man in history to have established a marathon world record, won two Olympic marathon gold medals, and broken the tape first in Boston over the span of their career.

“I am happy to announce that in April I will compete in the Boston Marathon, a new chapter in my Abbott World Marathon Majors journey,” said Kipchoge. “Good luck to all the runners running Boston in 2023.”

Joining Kipchoge among the contingent from Kenya is Evans Chebet, who stormed to a 2:06:51 win at April’s Boston Marathon and then ran to victory at the TCS New York City Marathon in November. In 2022, Chebet became just the sixth man in history to win the Boston and New York City Marathons in the same year.

“To be a champion in Boston is something very special and for me, it has even more meaning because it took me quite some time during my career to be competitive enough to finally win the oldest marathon in the world,” said Chebet. “I can’t wait to be back and to enjoy the great atmosphere of such a unique and historical race,” he added.

Chebet’s training partner, Benson Kipruto, also returns; he won the 2022 Chicago Marathon in addition to claiming Boston in October 2021.

“Boston is more than simply a place for me to race,” said Kipruto.

“It has become so familiar to me that just the idea of making the journey there once again gets me kind of emotional. Even now, in these months to come, I promise to concentrate and dedicate my time and training to be at my best and to ensure that I will honour this special opportunity, once again. Thank you, Boston for having me back!”

Desisa enters Boston with vital experience, having placed in the top-two four times at the Boston Marathon (wins in 2013 and 2015 and second-place finishes in 2016 and 2019). April marks the tenth anniversary of his victory in 2013, one in which he donated his champion’s medal back to the City of Boston in recognition of the tragedy of April 15, 2013.

No one in athletics will be more focused than me this spring in racing, as I look to once again win the Boston Marathon,” said Desisa.

“Ten years since my first victory I understand what this anniversary means and I would love nothing more than to put my name into the history of the race again. I stand with the people of Boston and I will be running the race of my life for you all. We are Boston Strong,” Desisa added.

While this will be Gotytom Gebreslase’s first Boston Marathon, it is far from her first time racing in Boston. The Ethiopian world champion has finished runner-up at the BAA. Half Marathon twice and has placed in the top-five three times at the B.A.A. 5K on Patriots’ Day weekend. Beyond winning a world title in 2022, Gebreslase placed third at both the Berlin Marathon and New York City Marathons this year.

“I am very happy to compete in the Boston Marathon 2023, as Boston is one of the most famous races in the world,” said Gebreslase.

“It has long been a dream of mine to win the race. When I was a young track athlete, I raced many times in Boston in indoor races and then on the roads in the BAA’s 5km. So, I am very excited and happy to bring my career full circle and come back to Boston now as the World Champion with a chance to add the Boston Marathon Champion to my resume. See you on the start line,” Gebreslase added.

Edna Kiplagat set a new Masters Division record en route to finishing fourth at the 2022 Boston Marathon in 2:21:40, and shows no signs of stopping. Kiplagat plans to return and contend at the age of 43; she won the 2017 Boston Marathon in time of 2:21:52 and crossed the line second at both the 2019 and 2021 editions of the race.

While Atsede Baysa returning champion. After finishing eighth at last year’s Boston Marathon, Baysa placed fifth at the Houston Marathon and looks to return with high hopes of another podium in 2023.

“Each year, the BAA prides itself on bringing the best runners in the world together to battle on the famed course from Hopkinton to Boston,” said Jack Fleming, President and Chief Executive Officer of the BAA.

“History and heritage are two cornerstones of the Boston Marathon. This year’s race brings those elements to the forefront as world record holder and Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge and other six Boston Marathon champion battle on Patriots’ Day. The world will be watching Boston with great anticipation to see how the competition plays out,” Fleming added.

The Marathon will be held on April 17, 2023.