BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Jess McClain of the United States runs to the finish line of the 130th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America on April 20, 2026, on Boylston Street, in Boston, MA. Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire MARATHON: APR 20 130th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26042031
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 20: Jess McClain of the United States runs to the finish line of the 130th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America on April 20, 2026, on Boylston Street, in Boston, MA. Photo by Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire MARATHON: APR 20 130th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon26042031
Jess McClain was at the forefront of history after finishing fifth in the women's Boston marathon with a time of 2:20:49. She led four American women in the top 10.
She broke her PR by almost two minutes, with her previous best being 2:22:43 at Boston last year. McClain was also the top American back then.
McClain was ten seconds behind the leaders at the 21-mile mark, but managed to pass Irine Cheptai on Boylston Street to move into fifth place, earning her $18,000 in prize money.
McClain's efforts to jump to fifth place this year did not happen overnight. She did workouts that featured pace changes to prepare for the late moves in training this time around.
“I think my approach up until this point has been, you know, more conservative in the first half, and then hopefully I can hang on the second half. But today I felt super good in the second half, so I felt like I could cover more moves this year,” McClain said.
McClain is arguably in her prime since 2025. While she missed out on an Olympic spot in Paris, the 34-year-old came back in the World Athletics Championships last September and finished eighth overall with a time of 2:29:20.
She was the second-fastest US runner, just behind Susanna Sullivan.
A college standout at Stanford University, McClain lives in Phoenix and works a day job, working for nonprofits. She often trains before dawn to beat the Arizona heat.
While Jess McClain continues to shine at the top of the US women's marathon, let's take a look at others who are not far off from the 34-year-old.
Which Other U.S. Women Finished in the Top 10 of the Boston Marathon?
Annie Frisbie was another American, like McClain, to break her personal best in Boston, finishing eighth with a time of 2:22:00. This now puts her No.2 on the all-time American performance list at Boston.
Just behind her was 34-year-old Emily Sisson, who finished ninth with a time of 2:22:39. She is right back on track to her previous form, where she became the American record holder with a time of 2:18:29 in Chicago in 2022.
Carrie Ellwood completed the top 10, finishing at 2:22:53. She had a huge race, which saw her record improve by nine minutes. Her previous best was 2:31:51 in Chicago five years ago.
While McClain continues her dominant run, competition among the US women narrows down. Who do you think has the highest ceiling among the four?
Written by
Joy Bassy
Edited by
Utsav Gupta