Boston Marathon
In a finish line interview, Lokedi said a little girl’s shout of “you’ve got this, ladies!” fueled her from the sidelines.
Sharon Lokedi of Kenya celebrates after winning the women’s division of the Boston Marathon, Monday, April 20, 2026. Charles Krupa / AP
April 20, 2026 | 12:42 PM
1 minute to read
Sharon Lokedi successfully defended her Boston Marathon title Monday, notching her second win in a row with a time of 2:18:51.
The Kenyan glided across the finish line 44 seconds ahead of second-place-finisher Loice Chemnung, though she fell shy of the 2:17:22 course record she set in 2025.
“I just kept telling myself, ‘Be patient. Be patient. Be humble,’” Lokedi recalled in a post-race interview when asked how the 2025 win weighed on her mind.
After keeping pace with the women’s frontrunners for much of the race, the 32-year-old Lokedi made her move and emerged at the front of the pack around the 21-mile mark. She widened the gap on Beacon Street, leaving her fellow Kenyan Chemnung in her wake as she cut through Brookline en route to Back Bay.
Speaking to WCVB at the finish line, she said a little girl’s shout of “you’ve got this, ladies!” fueled her from the sidelines.
With two-time Boston winner Hellen Obiri opting out of this year’s race to make her London Marathon debut next week, Lokedi was left without one of her fiercest competitors. In Obiri’s absence, race broadcasters repeatedly noted the 2026 showing was Lokedi’s to lose.
Running without Obiri “was a bit different,” Lokedi admitted Monday, though she said Obiri texted her encouragement before the race.
A former University of Kansas athlete, Lokedi captured her first World Marathon Majors gold medal in New York City in 2022. Monday’s race marks her third first-place finish in the World Marathon Majors.
All smiles as she emerged victorious on Boylston Street, Lokedi gave a shoutout to her mother, who couldn’t be there in-person to watch her run.
“I love you, mom,” Lokedi grinned. “We did it again today.”
Abby Patkin is a general assignment news reporter whose work touches on public transit, crime, health, and everything in between.
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