Boston Champions, World Record Holders & Global Stars Set for 2026 Boston 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile

Saturday, April 18 Racing Kicks off Patriots’ Day Weekend

BOSTON (23-March) – Defending champions, Olympians, Paralympians and record holders will converge for the Boston 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile on Saturday, April 18, kicking off Boston Marathon weekend with fast racing through Back Bay. 

“The most anticipated weekend of road racing in America gets started with the Boston 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile, where more than 10,000 athletes are anticipated to cross the finish line on Boylston Street,” said Jack Fleming, B.A.A. President and Chief Executive Officer. “At the front of the field will be familiar faces for running fans, including recent champions and Olympians. We’re counting down the days until the world comes to run in Boston.” 

Boston 5K Champions Reunite

In 2025, Ethiopia’s Gela Hambese stormed to her first win at the Boston 5K, clocking 14:53 – nearly an event record. Now a World Cross Country Championships relay bronze medalist, Hambese will have to square off against 2024 Boston 10K champion Melknat Wudu (Ethiopia), 14:16 5000m ace Medina Eisa (Ethiopia), 2022 World Champion steeplechaser Norah Jeruto(Kazakhstan), and 2024 Olympian Daisy Jepkemei (Kazakhstan). 

American Taylor Roe finished third overall and first among Americans at the 2025 Boston 5K, challenging Hambese all the way down Boylston Street. She returns and is joined by Katie Izzo and Emily Venters –both of whom represented Team USA at this year’s World Cross Country Championships – and 2021 Olympian Rachel Smith. The hometown favorite is Maggie Donahue, a native of Wellesley now racing professionally for the B.A.A. High Performance Team. 

On the men’s side, Cooper Teare and Morgan Beadlescomb both have tasted victory at the Boston 5K, having won in 2024 and 2023, respectively. Each seeks a second title on the roads, and will battle 2023 Boston 5K third-place finisher Edwin Kurgat(Kenya), Team USA steeplechaser Dan Michalski, 59:14 half-marathoner Patrick Kiprop (Kenya), and Sean McGorty, a 5,000m and 10,000m standout on the track and three-time Team USA member at the World Championships. The fastest entrants are Addisu Yihune and Mezgebu Sime of Ethiopia, who have run 12:49.65 and 12:49.80 for 5,000-meters on the track. James Mwaura and Eric van der Els represent the B.A.A. High Performance Team’s top entrants.

Eight-time Boston Marathon champion and four-time Boston 5K winner Marcel Hug will duel with American Daniel Romanchuk. Winner of the B.A.A. 10K, Boston Half, and Boston Marathon in years past, Romanchuk looks to complete the career grand slam with a victory in the 5K. Miguel Jimenez-Vergara, winner of the Los Angeles Marathon in March, carries strong momentum into the Boston 5K. 

On the women’s side, Great Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper looks for a three-peat, having won the past two editions as well as a 2024 Boston Marathon title. Among her competitors are American legend Tatyana McFadden, five-time Boston Marathon champion.

Returning Para Athletics Division men’s champions from 2025 include El Amin Chentouf (T11/12/13), Thomas Cantara (T20), Marko Cheseto Lemtukei (T42-44/T61-64) and Atsbha Gebremeskel (T45-47), along with past women’s T42-44, T61-64 winners Kelly Bruno and Meghan Bradshaw.

The Boston 5K starts at 8:00 a.m. on Saturday, April 18 adjacent to Boston Common, and finishes at the Boston Marathon Finish Line. Bios for top professional contenders can be found here.

Local Olympian Heather MacLean, Worlds Silver Medalist Dorcus Ewoi Headline B.A.A. Invitational Mile

The B.A.A. Invitational Mile features immense star power, especially in the women’s race. Dorcus Ewoi won the 2025 edition in 4:42.57 then went on to capture a silver medal at the World Championships in the 1500m for Kenya. She’ll face Peabody, Mass. native and 2021 Olympian Heather MacLean, racing the B.A.A. Invitational Mile for the first time since 2022. Krissy Gear, winner in both 2023 and 2024, looks to join Morgan Uceny as the only three-time women’s champion in race history. 

The professional men’s race features the entire Atlanta Track Club team who recently set a 4x800m indoor world record: Clay Pender, Luke Houser, Luciano Fiore, and Sean Dolan. Houser is a World Indoor Championships bronze medalist at 1500m, two-time NCAA champion, and raced here in 2025. Also in the men’s professional race is B.A.A. High Performance Team member and 3:53.54 miler Isaac Basten. Aaron Ahl, runner-up in both 2024 and 2025, aims to be the first men’s champion from Canada. All 15 men entered have broken four minutes for the mile. 

In addition to the professionals, student-athletes from each of the eight cities and towns that make up the Boston Marathon route will compete in a Scholastic Mile and Middle School 1K. The B.A.A. Invitational Mile will begin at 11:00 a.m. at the Boston Marathon Finish Line on Saturday, April 18.

B.A.A. Youth Mile Extends Saturday Racing

New in 2026, the B.A.A. Youth Mile will extend the action on Boylston Street through the afternoon. From 1:00 p.m.-3:30 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, nearly 1,000 young runners will take part in a fun, free race to promote health and fitness for athletes ages 7-14. 

Participants can experience the thrill of running on Boylston Street and crossing the Boston Marathon Finish Line, while earning a finisher medal. Additional information is available here.

Boston 5K Professional Fields

B.A.A. Invitational Mile Professional Fields

 ABOUT THE BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION (B.A.A.)  

Established in 1887, the Boston Athletic Association is a non-profit organization with a mission of promoting a healthy lifestyle through sports, especially running. The B.A.A. manages the Boston Marathon, and supports comprehensive charity, youth, and year-round programming. The 130th Boston Marathon is scheduled to take place on Monday, April 20, 2026.  

The Boston Marathon is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors, along with international marathons in Tokyo, London, Sydney, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. For more information on the B.A.A., please visit  www.baa.org.