Hellen
Obiri Targets Record-Breaking Third Win at 2025 Boston Marathon
Boston, USA – Kenyan marathon powerhouse Hellen
Obiri is gearing up for a groundbreaking performance at the 2025 Boston
Marathon, where she hopes to secure her third consecutive title — a feat that
would cement her status as one of the sport’s all-time greats.
Obiri, speaking confidently during a pre-race
media briefing, shared her determination to become the first Kenyan woman to
achieve three straight victories in the prestigious event, a title that would
place her in elite company alongside past champions like Ethiopia’s Fatuma Roba
and Portugal’s Rosa Mota.
“No Kenyan woman has done this before. I want
to be the first. I’m ready, I’m focused, and I’ll fight to the finish,” Obiri
told reporters, her eyes set on etching her name in marathon lore.
Marathon
Milestone Beckons for Obiri at Boston 2025
The 2025 race, set for Monday, April 21,
features a formidable lineup, with Obiri facing fierce competition from the
likes of Edna Kiplagat (two-time Boston winner), Sharon Lokedi (2022 NYC
Marathon champion), Sharon Cherop (2012 Boston winner), and Ethiopia’s top
contenders Yalemzerf Yehualaw and Amane Beriso.
Obiri’s Boston dominance began in 2023, where
she claimed her maiden marathon victory in only her second attempt — a dramatic
sprint finish that signaled the arrival of a new queen on the road circuit. She
followed up in 2024 with a commanding, wire-to-wire performance that solidified
her credentials.
Now, a third win would not only tie her with
legends like Rosa Mota and Fatuma Roba but also draw her closer to Catherine
Ndereba’s unmatched record of four Boston titles. Ndereba remains the most
decorated woman in the event’s history with wins in 2000, 2001, 2004, and 2005.
Record
Prizes and Elite Legacy on the Line
This year’s Boston Marathon is set to offer
the highest prize pool in the race’s history, with a total purse of $1.14
million (Ksh147.8 million). The women’s champion will walk away with $150,000
(Ksh19.4 million), while second and third place earn $75,000 and $40,000
respectively.
In addition, a $50,000 bonus is up for grabs
for any athlete who breaks the current course record of 2:19:59 set by Buzunesh
Deba in 2014 — a mark Obiri has hinted she might target, depending on race
conditions.
Obiri’s transformation from world-class track
athlete to marathon champion has been nothing short of remarkable. She boasts
two World Championships in the 5,000m (2017, 2019) and Olympic silver medals in
Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. Since transitioning to road running in 2022, she has
remained unbeaten in her last three major marathons, including a sensational
win at the 2023 New York City Marathon.
Now, as the countdown to Boston 2025
continues, all eyes will be on the trailblazing Kenyan as she chases a chapter
in marathon history that no Kenyan woman has ever written before.
