Last month, the BAA expanded the start waves from four to six and widened the nonbinary division, a change that may slightly shift the spotlight around the event. Still, the 2026 Boston Marathon will welcome more than 30,000 runners along with a star-studded lineup. Even in a field this large, a few celebrities are expected to stand out along the 26.2-mile course and draw plenty of attention from fans. So, who are they?
One of the biggest names returning to the course is former Boston Bruins defenseman Zdeno Chara. After pulling out of the 2025 race due to injury, he is set to run his third Boston Marathon in four years. The longtime NHL captain has already become a mainstay in the event as a runner since he quit hockey while money for charity organizations such as the Thomas E. Smith Foundation and the Hoyt Foundation.
Chelsea Clinton, daughter of former U.S. President Bill Clinton, also features on the list. She made her marathon debut at the 2021 New York City Marathon and later secured her Boston qualifying mark with a 3:44:22 finish in New York, earning her spot on this stage.
Olympian and 2018 Boston Marathon champion Des Linden is also returning. Linden has built a strong reputation in long-distance running, even competing in ultra events like the Marathon des Sables. She had previously suggested stepping away from professional marathoning, but continues to line up in major races as she says, “It’s not retirement, it’s just moving on to something a little bit different.”
Bryan Arenales, a native of Boston and co-winner of Love Island USA Season 7, will also debut in the Boston Marathon after running marathons in Miami and Chicago. Another astronaut who will run the second, though first on Earth, is NASA astronaut Sunita Williams, who grew up in Needham. In 2007, she infamously completed the race on a treadmill on the International Space Station.
Other runners include Boston comedian and runner Laura Green, soccer star Kristine Lilly, a three-time Olympic champion and a five-time World Cup player, and a multi-instrumentalist with Dropkick Murphys, Jeff DaRosa.
Running icon Amby Burfoot, 79, the 1968 winner of the Boston Marathon, remains connected to the race throughout his life, and Chris Herren, another former Boston College basketball star and former Boston Celtics player, is also running to support his own non-profit, the Herren Project, which is recovery-oriented.
But will these celebrities be able to win? Well, the fight at the front of the race is on a completely different level!
Top athletes who could be the real threats in the Boston Marathon race
The biggest threat in the men’s Boston Marathon race is defending champion John Korir, who is chasing another major win after a strong run of performances across top marathons. He won Chicago and Valencia last year, and in Valencia, he clocked 2:02:24, one of the fastest marathon times ever recorded. In Boston last year, he also delivered a sharp 2:04:45, showing he is built for fast championship racing.
His main challenger is expected to be fellow Kenyan Benson Kipruto, one of the most consistent marathon runners in the world. Kipruto has already won the biggest U.S. marathons, including Boston, Chicago, and New York City. He also brings a personal best of 2:02:16, making him one of the fastest in the field and a serious contender for the win again.
In the women’s Boston Marathon race, Sharon Lokedi, the defending champion, is the one to beat in the race. Last year, she won Boston in 2:17:22, which is the fastest time ever to win the race. But her biggest rivals in the race will include Kenya’s Irine Cheptai, who finished fourth in Boston last year, and Ethiopia’s Workenesh Edesa, who has Osaka and Hamburg titles.
Thus, even as the celebrity runners grab the headlines, the actual race to win remains squarely under the elite runners at the head of the pack.
