Reigning Barcelona Half Marathon champion Loice Chemnung will be hunting her first full marathon podium when she toes the line at the Boston Marathon on Monday.
Chemnung steps into only her second outing over the classic 42km distance, having first tested her endurance at the Chicago Marathon in October, 2025.
On her debut, the distance ace clocked 2:18:24, narrowly missing out on the podium with a fourth-place finish. Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa stormed to victory in 2:14:57, outkicking compatriot Megertu Alemu (2:17:18), while Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri sealed third in 2:18:03.
With Boston looming, Chemnung returns to the start line sharper, more experienced and with heightened expectations as she looks to slice time off her personal best and force her way onto the podium. “In Chicago, I did not have a lot of pressure because it was my debut,” she said.
“Now I am looking forward to Boston. I have pressure to perform and improve my time.”
Despite the weight of expectation, Chemnung remains grounded, leaning on mental strength as she gears up for one of the sport’s most demanding courses.
“There is a lot of pressure, but I know I have to relax my mind. Mentally, my son and husband keep me strong, and I would like to thank them for their support,” she added.
The 2026 season has already seen Chemnung hit top gear, storming to victory at the Barcelona Half Marathon in a course record time of 1:04:01. American Weini Kelati followed in second (1:06:04), with Ethiopia’s Diniya Abaraya completing the podium in 1:06:28.
While still relatively new to the marathon grind, Chemnung boasts a formidable resume over 21km. She burst onto the half-marathon scene in 2024 with commanding victories in Malaga (1:05:58) and Tokyo Legacy (1:07:27), alongside a runner-up finish at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in 1:06:47.
That momentum rolled into the following season, where she successfully defended her Malaga crown in 1:05:46 and once again settled for second in Antrim, clocking 1:06:06. In Boston, Chemnung will be part of a formidable Kenyan charge spearheaded by defending champion Sharon Lokedi.
Lokedi claimed last year’s title in 2:17:22, edging compatriot Hellen Obiri (2:17:41) and Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:18:06) in a gripping duel.
Also flying the Kenyan flag is Irene Cheptai, the 2024 Chicago Marathon third-place finisher, who will be eager to improve on her fourth-place finish (2:21:32) at last year’s Boston race.
Further depth comes from the experienced Vivian Cheruiyot, the 2018 London Marathon champion, whose pedigree and tactical nous add steel to Kenya’s medal ambitions. However, the Kenyan contingent will have to fend off a fierce Ethiopian challenge led by Workenesh Edesa, the reigning Osaka Women’s Marathon champion, as well as Tanzania’s Shauri.
