In Monday’s Boston Marathon, American runners seek to end the nation’s longest major international marathon podium drought (combined for women and men) since the World Marathon Majors series began in 2006.
The last American female runner to finish in the top three of a major (Boston, New York City, Chicago, London, Berlin, Tokyo, Sydney since 2025, the Olympics or World Championships) was Emily Sisson, who placed second at the 2022 Chicago Marathon.
The last American male runner to do so was Galen Rupp, who was third in Chicago in 2021.
Both Sisson and Rupp are entered in Monday’s race.
As are fellow Olympians seeking their first major international podiums such as Dakotah Popehn and Clayton Young.
At Boston, the world’s oldest annual marathon dating to 1897, the last American runners to finish in the top three were Jordan Hasay (third in 2019) and Shadrack Biwott (third in 2018).
For the U.S. men, it’s the longest Boston podium drought since 1985 to 2006. For the U.S. women, if none finish in the top three on Monday, it’ll be the longest drought since 1993 to 2009.
U.S. runners’ podium finishes in major marathons
| Emily Sisson | Chicago 2022 | 2nd Place |
| Galen Rupp | Chicago 2021 | 2nd Place |
| Emma Bates | Chicago 2021 | 2nd Place |
| Sara Hall | Chicago 2021 | 3rd Place |
| Molly Seidel | Tokyo Olympics | 3rd Place |
| Sara Hall | London 2020 | 2nd Place |
*Since 2020
Chances may be better Monday for the U.S. women given the overall Boston fields.
Kenyan Sharon Lokedi, who won Boston last year in the fastest women’s time in course history (2:17:22), is back.
Most of the other top stars signed up for the London Marathon next Sunday — Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya — plus Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya, who both withdrew from London due to injuries.
Fiona O’Keeffe, the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials winner who was fourth at last November’s New York City Marathon, was due to benefit from their absences. But O’Keeffe withdrew on Sunday due to a recent hamstring issue.
Sisson makes her Boston debut. She clocked an American record 2:18:29 in the most recent major podium finish for a U.S. runner at the 2022 Chicago Marathon.
In her last marathon, she was the third-fastest American in New York City in November (eighth overall).
“I don’t want to go into a race thinking I just want to be the top American,” Sisson told LetsRun. “For so many years, I’m like, I want to medal. I want to be on a podium. And I’m still working my way to come back to that fitness.”
The Boston men’s field features Kenyan John Korir, who last April posted the second-fastest men’s winning time in race history (2:04:45). In his most recent marathon in December, Korir won Valencia in 2:02:24, making him the eighth-fastest marathoner in history.
Korir’s top challenger going into Boston is countryman Benson Kipruto, the only male runner to win all three U.S. major marathons -- Boston (2021), Chicago (2022) and New York City (2025).
The U.S. contingent was headlined by American record holder Conner Mantz, but he withdrew three weeks ago, citing a lack of fitness.
Rupp, a four-time Olympian and two-time Olympic medalist who turns 40 on May 8, placed 16th in his last two marathons (2024 Olympic Trials, 2025 Chicago) while undergoing hip surgery in between.
Young, who has trained with Mantz the last several years in Utah, said his workouts have been “up and down” since December after an ankle injury sidelined him for 18 weeks.
Last year in Boston, he ran a personal best 2:07:04 for seventh place.
“The last two or three weeks have kind of shown, oh, wow, I might have a chance to actually compete better than last year, which is really exciting,” he said. “So I’m kind of approaching this a little bit with curiosity with a short build with only eight to 10 weeks and a lot of gratitude to be out here, to be healthy.”
Then there’s Zouhair Talbi, who was 35th in the Paris Olympic marathon for Morocco.
In 2025, he joined the U.S. Army Reserve, gained U.S. citizenship and was granted a nationality switch for competition to the U.S., going into effect in August 2027 (in time for the March 2028 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials).
Talbi won the Houston Marathon in January in 2:05:45, a time bettered by only three Americans in history (Mantz and the retired Khalid Khannouchi and Ryan Hall).
Talbi believes posting that time, along with Mantz running an American record 2:04:43 in Chicago last October, will help raise U.S. men’s marathoning as a whole.
“I need to dream big and try to run fast,” Talbi told Flotrack. “That will elevate just the mindset from other people to start taking it.”
