Last year, at the Boston Marathon, Sharon Lokedi battled Hellen Obiri to the very finish line, taking her first title at Boston, in a course record of 2:17:22 to Hellen Obiri’s 2:17:41!
This year was a different race for Sharon Lokedi. Obviously very fit, Sharon exuded confidence as she hit the halfway mark in 1:11:03, staying out of the fray. Sharon Lokedi took only 1:07.48 for a time in 2:18:51.
“It was a bit different, I would say, I mean, we start out in control, and then, not really in control,” noted Sharon post-race.
Sharon had a bit of a crisis before the race. She forgot her watch, not realizing it until she was halfway to the start, in the elite bus.
“Halfway to the race, I told my coach, ‘I do not have my watch. ‘ So, we ended up asking someone, and I got a watch.”
Sharon Lokedi ran the 5k between 30-35k in 16:08, and then dropped a 15:28 for the 5k between 35k and 40k. That is 44 seconds between Sharon and Loice Chemnung, who finished in second place.
Sharon Lokedi was asked what she was going to do to celebrate the race. She smiled and said, “Steven (Haas) was like, ‘Where do you want to go?’ Like maybe Chanel? I don’t know.”
Sharon Lokedi is a tremendous athlete. Her gutty performance in 2025 was reinforced by her performance in 2026, as she was tested with a much different race.
In 2026, Sharon Lokedi had to remain patient, and when she took off, it was decisive, dominating and showed who had control.
Sharon Lokedi runs for Under Armour. Her brand now has winners at the NYC and Boston Marathons. There are 80 brands in running, and fewer than a dozen have had winners of major marathons.
Sharon Lokedi is building a wonderful reputation as a marathoner who can handle anthing that a field delivers!
I sure hope that she enjoys her shopping trip to Chanel.
Sharon Lokedi, KEN, won the 130th Boston Marathon in 2:18.51! Sharon defended her title in 2025!
1. Sharon Lokedi, KEN, 2:18.51
2. Loice Chemnung, KEN, 2:19.35
3. Mary Ngugi-Cooper, KEN, 2:20.07
4. Mercy Chelangat, KEN, 2:20.30
5. Jess McClain, USA, 2:20.30
6. Irene Cheptai, KEN, 2:20.54
7. Worknesh Edesa, KEN, 2:21.52
8. Annie Frisbie, US, 2:22.30
9. Emily Sisson, US, 2:22.39
10. Carrie Elwood, US, 2:23.38
11. Bedatu Hirpa, ETH, 2:23.58
12. Dakotah Popehn, US, 2:24.04
13. Elena Hayday, US, 2:24.45
14. Kodi Kieven, USA, 2:24.48
15. Amanda Vestri, USA, 2:24.49
(photos from the 2025 win of Sharon Lokedi, photos by Kevin Morris)
