A Boston Marathon women’s field for the ages on historic anniversary

For the first time in many years, the Boston Marathon features the world’s top two female marathoners from the previous year. Perhaps the best Boston Marathon women’s field ever comes on the 50th anniversary of the first time women were officially allowed to race the world’s most historic 26.2-mile race.

Kenyans Peres Jepchirchir and Joyciline Jepkosgei headline the entries. Also running is arguably the top American today, Olympic bronze medalist Molly Seidel.

“I’ve gotten my ass kicked by Peres the two times that I’ve raced her,” Seidel told LetsRun.com on Friday. “Getting to be in a race with a huge amount of competition like that with women with incredible credentials, that fires me up like nothing else. A lot of it is, you just hang on for dear life and see what happens.”

London usually has the best fields of the spring marathons, but that race is being held in October for a third consecutive year due to the pandemic.

Boston, which was canceled in 2020 and held in October last year, returns to its usual Patriots’ Day date for the first time since 2019.

BOSTON MARATHON: TV Schedule | Men’s Preview | U.S. Women’s Moment

It is this year’s spotlight spring marathon.

The race is an opportunity for Jepchirchir, who won the Olympics and the New York City Marathon last year, to consolidate her status as the world No. 1. Jepkosgei is right behind, winning London in the world’s fastest time of 2021 in her lone marathon of the year.

Another Kenyan, world-record holder Brigid Kosgei, is perhaps the only other woman in that very top tier. But she hasn’t raced Boston since becoming a star. Yet another Kenyan Mary Keitany, the retired queen of the 2010s, never raced Boston as she favored London.

So this year’s field is about as