By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2026 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved
BOSTON (21-Jun) — Patrick Kiprop and Sharon Lokedi celebrated the first day of summer here this morning with convincing victories at the 14th B.A.A. 10-K presented by Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute. In glorious sunshine, the two Kenyans overcame strong fields to win in 27:55 and 31:28, respectively, and each earned $12,000 in prize money. For Lokedi, the reigning Boston Marathon champion, it was her second consecutive win here. Nearly 10,000 runners completed today’s race which was organized by the Boston Athletic Association.
CANADIAN ALEXANDER WAS EARLY LEADER
Andrew Alexander, who was crowned Athletics Canada’s 10-K national champion in Ottawa last month, gave the pre-race favorites a shock by scooting away from the field right from the gun. Alexander, 27, went through the first kilometer in 2:50, eight seconds ahead of the main field, and the first mile in 4:44. He widened his lead to 14 seconds at 2-K (5:42) and to 21 seconds by 3-K (8:32). He said later that he was just running on feel.
“It’s a great day and you’ve got to take advantage of that great field,” Alexander told Race Results Weekly after the race. “I knew these guys were fast and I kind of went out on a pace that I thought was decent. And then I looked behind me and I really couldn’t see anyone.”
The race begins in Back Bay and the first kilometers are run in Cambridge on the other side of the Charles River. With quiet streets to himself, Alexander continued on his solo quest. He hit three miles in 13:34 and 5-K in 14:18.
“I’m just going to go out there and run my race,” Alexander continued. “I’m sure they’re going to catch-up.”
Behind Alexander, Kiprop had taken up the lead of the chase group. On the long straightaway along the river before the course goes back over the Charles on the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge, Kiprop had a good view of Alexander and started to close the gap. By 5-K, Alexander’s lead had shriveled to just nine seconds, and at 6-K he was caught. He would finish 11th in 28:37.
“I’m happy with it,” said Alexander. I put my nose in it.”
Kiprop wasn’t disturbed by Alexander’s front running. He admitted later that he didn’t really know who he was.
“I know we would go out and get him,” Kiprop told Race Results Weekly. “I knew it was still early to go that quick at the start. I wanted to take my time the first two miles.”
With Alexander’s escape shut down, Kiprop turned his attention to his key rivals: Adriaan Wildschutt of South Africa, Dawit Seare of Eritrea, Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia and Alexander Mutiso of Kenya. In the seventh kilometer Kiprop put in a surge. By the time he reached 8-K (22:40) Mutiso had been dropped and the race was down to four.
“At that point I didn’t know I had a good chance of winning, but I knew if I stick with everyone, if they make a move I’ll go with it,” Kiprop explained. “I knew I could break them towards the end.”
Running on Boylston Street and through the Boston Marathon finish line, Kiprop continued to lead. He had waited long enough to show his cards, and blasted the ninth kilometer in 2:36. Only Wildschutt could hold that pace, despite having run 36 kilometers of the Cape Town Marathon on May 23 as a pacemaker.
“I was not supposed to go to 36-K in Cape Town,” Wildschutt explained. “I was supposed to pace to 25, 30-K just to see how I feel. But, I felt really good and from 25 to 35-K I ran like 4:30 to 4:40 (per mile). So, that really hurt and it took quite a while to recover from that. Even today, I didn’t feel that good leading up to the race.”
Kiprop pushed again at 9-K, and ran the final kilometer in a snappy 2:39. That was too much for Wildschutt who had to settle for second in 28:00.
“When you run among these high level athletes you’re not going to just win unless you’re completely ready,” Wildschutt said. “Not an excuse, though. I think I still put myself in there.”
Kiprop, who lives in Boulder, Colo., and trains with the On Athletics Club, was pleased with his win and was looking forward to a good summer of road racing.
“I love racing in the summer,” said Kiprop, breaking into a smile. “With the weather, I love hot weather. It’s really great for me.”
Seare, who won the Boston 5-K in 2025, finished third in 28:06. Gebrhiwet took fourth in 28:15, and Ahmed Muhumed overtook Mutiso to finish fifth and was the top American in 28:20 (Mutiso finished four seconds behind him).
ONE BIG MOVE FOR LOKEDI
Sharon Lokedi is so at-home in Boston that a Boston Athletic Association staff member joked that she should buy an apartment here. Indeed today, she ran comfortably in a pack of six women through the 5-K point in 16:10. Four other Kenyans joined her –Veronica Loleo, Winfred Mbithe, Daisilah Jerono, and Gladys Kwamboka– and one American, Rachael Rudel. Lokedi wasn’t concerned about running any particular time.
“If I’m in the top three I’m great about it, I’m OK,” Lokedi said about her mental state prior to the race. “The first K we ran 3:35. I was like, Jesus.”
By the time Lokedi reached 8-K (25:30) only Kwamboka had fallen back. She decided that it was time to go, and made a powerful move.
“I made that move and I was like, that was it,” Lokedi said. She continued: “I know where I am (on the Boston Marathon course) and I just kept moving.”
Rudel, who was the top American at the Bolder Boulder 10-K on Memorial Day, decided that the race wasn’t over for her. She was doing the last competition in her current training block under coach David Roche, and she decided to leave everything out on the course. She might as well go for it.
“Honestly, I had a little self-doubt,” Rudel admitted. She added: “If this is the last race of my season I might as well send it. It’s going to be painful, but I surged.”
Remarkably, Rudel managed to keep Lokedi just a few seconds ahead of her and crossed the finish line on Charles Street in second place in a personal best 31:31, just three seconds behind Lokedi. Loleo finished third in 31:33, Mbithe got fourth in 31:42, and Jerono fifth in 31:44.
Lokedi, who is currently ranked as the #8 marathoner in the world by World Athletics, was in a particularly good mood because today’s race was her last for this summer. She took a more relaxed approach to today’s race than she did at the Boston Marathon.
“It was just about the win for me today,” Lokedi said. “Like, I got in yesterday and I just wanted to recover and be ready for today.”
ROMANCHUK AND MCFADDEN TAKE WHEELCHAIR TITLES
As expected, Americans Daniel Romanchuk and Tatyana McFadden won the men’s and women’s professional wheelchair titles, respectively. Romanchuck pushed to an event record of 19:53, more than three minutes clear of second place Evan Correll, and McFadden was timed in 23:59, more than two minutes ahead of second place Hannah Dederick.
“Great day to be back in Boston,” said Romanchuk, who won the race for the third time. “Anything in Boston is amazing. I grew up hearing stories about the Boston Marathon, and I basically took yearly trips up here. So, it brings back a lot of memories.”
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PHOTO: Patrick Kiprop leads Adriaan Wildschutt, Hagos Gebrhiwet and Dawit Seare in the ninth kilometer of the 2026 B.A.A. 10-K (photo by David Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Sharon Lokedi winning the 2026 B.A.A. 10-K (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Patrick Kiprop winning the 2026 B.A.A. 10-K (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Daniel Romanchuk and Tatyana McFadden after winning the professional wheelchair divisions of the 2026 B.A.A. 10-K (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
PHOTO: Rachael Rudel finishing second at the 2026 B.A.A. 10-K (Photo by Jane Monti for Race Results Weekly)
ENDS
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