World marathon champion Victor Kiplangat will be Uganda’s sole representative at the 2025 Boston Marathon, set for Monday, April 21.
The Boston Marathon is part of the World Athletics Platinum Label road race series and attracts some of the most elite long-distance runners globally.
Kiplangat, who clocked a personal best of 2:05:09, will line up in a competitive men’s field that includes the defending champion Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia. Lemma is the fastest entrant with a time of 2:01:48 and is one of four men in history to have gone under 2:02.
A gold medallist at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Kiplangat will be aiming to become the first Ugandan man to win the prestigious Boston Marathon.
His strong finish in Budapest has raised expectations ahead of his Boston appearance, where he will face stiff competition from two-time Boston winner Evans Chebet (2:03:00), Chicago Marathon champion John Korir (2:02:44), and Berlin Marathon podium finishers Cybrian Kotut (2:03:22) and Haymanot Alew (2:03:31).
Despite the absence of other Ugandan athletes in the field, Kiplangat carries the nation’s hopes, building on a strong tradition of long-distance running that has seen Uganda emerge as a powerhouse in recent global competitions.
Also making headlines in the women’s race is Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, who is chasing a third consecutive Boston title, a feat last achieved by Ethiopia’s Fatuma Roba in 1999.
Obiri is part of a stacked women’s field that includes Ethiopia’s Amane Beriso, who has the fastest PB at 2:14:58, and former champions from the United States, Kenya, and Great Britain.
The 2025 Boston Marathon will feature more than 30 elite runners in each gender category, with athletes from Africa, North America, Europe, and Asia vying for one of the sport’s most historic titles.
