And the elite winners of the 2026 Boston Marathon have definitely made history, including a new course record for the men.
With over 30,000 participants going from Hopkinton to Copley Square, this year's race saw three back-to-back winners from last year's marathon,and the return of a 2024 champion.
The winners not only stand to claim runners' glory but also in prize money.
Here's what you need to know about the winners of each major race in the Boston Marathon.
John Korir, who won the Boston Marathon in 2025, has returned to win the 2026 Boston Marathon. And this time, he clinched the course record, winning him an extra $50,000 in prize money.
He finished with a time of 2 hours 1 minute 52 seconds.
The course record for the men is Geoffrey Mutai’s record time of 2 hours, 3 minutes and 2 seconds set in 2011.
Korir, from Kenya, comes from a running family. His older brother, Wesley Korir, won the Boston Marathon in 2012.
Winning the marathon comes with a prize purse of $150,000.
When asked, Korir said that he isn't thinking about running a marathon under 2 hours and is just focused on enjoying his win.
"I had no problems from start to finish," Korir said.
Sharon Lokedi, 32, of Kenya broke away at the end to win her second Boston Marathon title and a prize of $150,000.
Her final time was 2 hours, 18 minutes, and 51 seconds.
"Everybody is cheering for me and it felt so good," she told reporters at the finish line.
In 2024, she set the course record, finishing with a time of 2:17:22, greeted by her mom as she ran across the finish line. In 2023, she won a silver the Boston Marathon. She's also won the New York Marathon.
The favorite, Marcel Hug of Switzerland, defended his men's wheelchair title, earning his ninth Boston Marathon championship. He finished with a time of 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 6 seconds.
Hug previously won the title in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2023 and 2024, 2025. He is also the reigning course record holder with a 1:15:33 finish in 2024, which broke the previous course record he set in 2023.
In an interview after the race, the Swiss winner said that he was impressed that he was the lone racer after the downhill portion.
Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who won the Boston Marathon women's wheelchair division in 2024, reclaimed her title with another win in 2026. She will take home $15,000 in prize money after taking the lead early in the race.
Last year, the marathon athlete from the United Kingdom, finished just off the podium.