They say that history is written by the winners.
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 defends, wins second Boston Marathon title
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.
“This race feels like I’m back home,” Korir said.
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 defends, grabs second Boston Marathon win
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.
Marcel Hug secures 9th win
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.
“I felt good from the beginning,” Hug said.
Eden Rainbow-Cooper wins second title
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.
Her time was 1 hour, 30 minutes, and 51 seconds.
Last year, the marathon athlete from the United Kingdom, finished just off the podium.
What do they win?
Recognition isn’t the only thing athletes compete for; there’s the prize money after all. In fact, there’s a guarantee purse of $1.13 million this year that could go up to $1.33 million.
The Boston Marathon is offering five- to six-figure rewards for the top finishers in the competition, with a $50,000 bonus for those who set new course records in the open division and wheelchair division.
In the open division, the first-place prize is $150,000, the second-place prize is $75,000 and the third-place runner receives $40,000. There is prize money down to $5,500 for 10th place.
In the wheelchair division for T53/54/34 competitors, the first-, second-, and third-place prizes are valued at $50,000, $30,000 and $15,000. There is prize money down to $1,500 for 10th place.
To get the $50,000 course record bonus, open division male runners will have to beat Geoffrey Mutai’s record time of 2 hours, 3 minutes and 2 seconds set in 2011.
Open division female runners will have to beat 2 hours 17 minutes 22 seconds, set by Kenya’s Sharon Lokedi in 2025.
Male wheelchair athletes will have to beat Marcel Hug’s record of 1 hour, 15 minutes and 33 seconds in 2024, while female wheelchair athletes must beat Manuela Schär’s 1 hour, 28 minutes and 17 seconds in 2017 to get the bonus.
This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: Who won the Boston Marathon? See winners, times
Reporting by Katie Landeck and Rin Velasco, USA TODAY NETWORK – New England / wickedlocal.com, USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
