Meet the Elite Field at the 50th Boston 10K for Women

When you step onto Beacon Street for the 50th Boston 10K for Women on Saturday morning, take a look around.

Among the thousands of women getting ready to run alongside you will be some of the fastest distance runners in the country. And we mean really fast.

This year’s elite field brings together established professionals, rising stars, local standouts, and runners from across the country to compete at the front of a field of more than 7,000 women.

Leading the way is Elly Henes, 27, of Morrisville, North Carolina. Henes owns a blistering 30:48 personal best for 10,000 meters on the track and will make her Boston 10K for Women debut as part of our historic 50th running.

She’ll have plenty of company.

Rachael Rudel of Fort Collins, Colorado comes to Boston with a 31:31 road 10K best, while Annamaria Kostarellishas ran 32:10 on the roads. Amy Davis-Green, Jessie Cardin, Eva Jess, Megan Sailor (Hasz) and Jackie Gaughanare are among a deep group of runners capable of making things very interesting at the front.

Keep an Eye on the Local Runners

This may be an elite race, but there will be plenty of hometown rooting interests.

Rosina Machu, 23, of Waltham, will make her road 10K debut after running 32:15 for 10,000 meters on the track earlier this year.

Boston will be represented by Jackie Gaughan and Dana Giordano, while Megan Sailor (Hasz) calls Dorchester home. Maggie Donahue comes from nearby Wellesley, while Maine’s Ruby Krasnow and Alexis Wilbert add to a strong New England contingent.

In other words: listen for some big cheers when these women are introduced.

How Fast Are We Talking?

The Boston 10K for Women has a long history of speed.

The current course record is 31:05, set by Emily Sisson in 2025. That works out to roughly 5:02 per mile for 6.2 miles.

This year, Henes arrives with a 30:48 track personal best. Rudel has run 31:31 on the roads. Several more women in the field have broken 33 minutes for 10,000 meters.

So when the gun goes off at 9:00 AM, expect the action at the front to unfold quickly.

And while most of us won’t be chasing a 5-minute mile, that’s one of the things we love about this race: we’re all running the same 10K.

The elites will stand on the same starting line, tackle the same course through Boston and Cambridge, and cross the same finish line as thousands of women pursuing goals of their own.

For one runner, October 10 might be about winning $10,000 and challenging a course record.

For another, it might be about breaking 40 minutes, 50 minutes, an hour, or simply finishing her first 10K.

Every one of those goals matters.

50 Years of Fast Women

Elite competition has been part of the DNA of this race since the beginning.

Over the past five decades, the Boston 10K for Women has welcomed some extraordinary athletes, including Joan Benoit Samuelson, Lynn Jennings, Ingrid Kristiansen, Deena Kastor, Molly Huddle, Emily Sisson, Weini Kelati, Erika Kemp, and many more.

Some set American records here. Some set course records. Some returned to win again and again.

And on October 10, another group of women gets its opportunity to add a name to that history.

Who will become the champion of the 50th Boston 10K for Women?

We’ll find out Saturday.

But before you start your own race, soak it all in. Watch the elites warm up. Listen for the introductions. Cheer for the local runners. And when the gun sounds, remember:

You aren’t just watching the race. You’re part of it.

See you at the starting line.