The 2017 Boston marathon winner Edna Kiplagat from Kenya who is now based in United States will lead the women elite field at the 125th Boston Marathon that will be held from Hopkinton to Boston on Monday, October 11 in Boston.

This will be the first-ever fall edition of the Boston Marathon which will feature more than 140 elite athletes across all divisions including dozens of Americans, the Boston Athletic Association and John Hancock Financial jointly announced today.

The Organizers of the world’s oldest marathon, which could not be held as an in-person event in 2020 due to the pandemic and the local authorities, have permitted a field of 20,000 runners, and up to 70,000 more will run a virtual edition of the race. An $876,500 prize money purse will be on offer, the second largest in the history of the race.

Tom Grilk who is the B.A.A. president and CEO said, “In October, many of the world’s best athletes will look to etch their names in the history books by winning the Boston Marathon, We very much look forward to October’s competition, bringing together winners from more than one hundred global marathons. The B.A.A. is eager to continue the tradition of athletic excellence as we return to the roads leading to Boston.”

As usual the elite field in the open divisions is dominated by Africans. On the women’s side, eight international athletes have run sub-2:22 during their careers led by Ethiopia’s Yebrgual Melese (2:19:36), Mare Dibaba (2:19:52), Workenesh Edesa (2:20:24), Sutume Kebede (2:20:30), and Sutume Kebede (2:20:30). The top Kenyans are Kiplagat, the 2017 women’s race champion (2:19:50), and Helah Kiprop (2:21:27). Caroline Chepkoech, a former Kenyan who now runs for Kazakhstan, is making her debut.

The top American women are Jordan Hasay (2:20:57), Des Linden (2:22:38), and Molly Huddle (2:26:33). Hasay made her marathon debut at Boston in 2017, finishing third in 2:23:00. Linden has run Boston seven times and won the wet, cold and windy edition in 2018 (she was also second in 2011). Like Linden, Huddle ran Boston in 2018 and finished 13th. Ten of the 27 elite women who started that year dropped out.

The two defending champions, Kenya’s Lawrence Cherono and Ethiopia’s Worknesh Degefa, are not in this year’s elite field.