Dear Boston Marathon Participants and Friends,

On behalf of the Boston Athletic Association, principal sponsor John Hancock, and all of our sponsors, supporters, and volunteers, we thank you for participating in the 126th running of the Boston Marathon. For the first time in 1,099 days, the Boston Marathon triumphantly returned to its traditional Patriots’ Day date. Nearly 25,000 athletes from 120 countries and all 50 U.S. states were welcomed into the family of Boston Marathon finishers.

Throughout Boston Marathon race week, the spirit and energy of the marathon was on full display. From the return of our B.A.A. 5K and B.A.A. Invitational Mile, through Boston Marathon Fan Fest, our Expo, and our new Sam Adams Run Pub, the excitement was palpable, setting the stage for an unforgettable Patriots’ Day.

In Boston, we pride ourselves in the pursuit of athletic excellence. In every step from Hopkinton to Boston, a strength, resilience, and determination could be found within each participant, none more so than at the front of the women’s professional race. In a memorable duel over the final mile, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Ethiopia’s Ababel Yeshaneh traded the lead multiple times and ran stride for stride down Boylston Street, with Jepchirchir prevailing to become the first athlete in history to win Boston, New York, and Olympic Marathon titles. The unforgettable finish was a fitting tribute to the 50th anniversary of the inaugural women’s division in Boston.

Kenya’s Evans Chebet, Switzerland’s Manuela Schär, and American Daniel Romanchuk won the men’s open, women’s wheelchair, and men’s wheelchair titles going away, securing their spots in Boston Marathon lore. For Schär and Romanchuk, it was a return to the top of the podium with their fourth and second Boston wins, respectively.

Behind the winning quartet, countless qualifiers and fundraising runners accomplished their personal goals by covering the 26.2 miles between Hopkinton and Boston, many setting lifetime bests in the process. No matter your time or placing, we hope that the journey from start to finish was memorable in its own way. You are what makes the Boston Marathon such a special, global event, and we can’t thank you enough for being part of the 126th edition of the world’s oldest annual and most historic marathon.

We wish you all the best in your future running endeavors, and hope to see you on the roads of Boston next April for the 127th Boston Marathon.

April 18, 2022

Sincerely,

Michael P. O'Leary, M.D.

Chairman of the Board

Thomas S. Grilk

President & Chief Executive Officer