Boston 10K for Women

Last updated
Boston 10K for Women
Date Columbus Day
Location Boston, Massachusetts, United States
Event typeRoad
Distance 10 kilometer (6.2 mi)
Established1977
Official site boston10kforwomen.com

The Boston 10K for Women, Presented by REI, formerly known as the Reebok Boston 10K for Women, Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women and the Bonne Bell Mini Marathon, is a major 10 kilometer (6.2 mi) road running race held annually in Boston on Columbus Day. It is popular as both an elite world-class competition and a women's running event promoting health and fitness. Each year, the race draws thousands of participants and nearly 20,000 spectators.

Contents

History

For many years, the race has doubled as the USA Women's 10 km Championship (USA Track & Field). [1] It has attracted many of the world's top distance runners, including Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson and Olympian Molly Huddle, who each won four times, and Olympic bronze medalist Lynn Jennings, a six-time winner.

Begun in 1977 as the Bonne Bell Mini Marathon, Tufts Health Plan became title sponsor in 1985 [2] and supported the race for 33 years. In 2018, Reebok took up the sponsorship of the race, and in 2021, REI became the presenting sponsor of the event. [3] For several years it was the largest women-only 10K in the US, most recently in 2013. [4]

In the 2018 race, Emily Sisson's time does not count as a course record as an off-course public safety issue caused the race course to be adjusted after it had begun, and was approximately 300 meters short. [5]

In 2020 the in-person race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and became a virtual event in which more than 2,000 participants registered and ran around the world. [6]

When the race resumed in 2021, now presented by REI, Weini Kelati set a new course record and American record with a time of 31:18. [7]

Course

The race course [8] starts on Beacon Street near the Boston Common, crosses the Charles River via the Massachusetts Avenue Bridge into Cambridge near the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, forms a loop along the river on Memorial Drive, and crosses back over the bridge and into Boston down brownstone-lined Commonwealth Avenue. The finish line on Charles Street returns the runners to the Boston Common for celebration.

Runners

The race has become a Boston tradition and there are at least 10 women who have run the race every year since its inception in 1977.

Winners

Nine women who have run every race since 1977 at the Reebok store in October 2019. 9 Original Tufts Health Plan 10K for Women Runners.jpg
Nine women who have run every race since 1977 at the Reebok store in October 2019.
Molly Huddle and Iveen Chepkemoi at the halfway point of the Reebok Boston 10K for Women in October 2019. Huddle and Chepkemoi at the Reebok Boston 10K for Women in October 2019.jpg
Molly Huddle and Iveen Chepkemoi at the halfway point of the Reebok Boston 10K for Women in October 2019.
YearWinnerTime
2022Flag of the United States.svg  Erica Kemp  (USA)32:14
2021Flag of the United States.svg  Weini Kelati  (USA)31:18 [7]
2019Flag of the United States.svg  Molly Huddle  (USA)31:50 [9]
2018Flag of the United States.svg  Emily Sisson  (USA)30:39 [10]
2017Flag of the United States.svg  Lauren Paquette  (USA)33:30
2016Flag of the United States.svg  Emily Sisson  (USA)31:47
2015Flag of the United States.svg  Molly Huddle  (USA)32:16 [11]
2014Flag of the United States.svg  Jordan Hasay  (USA)31:38.9
2013Flag of Ethiopia.svg  Sentayehu Ejigu  (ETH)31:32.9
2012Flag of Kenya.svg  Hellen Jemutai  (KEN)32:29.8
2011Flag of the United States.svg  Janet Cherobon-Bawcom  (USA)32:46.4
2010Flag of the United States.svg  Molly Huddle  (USA)31:59.9
2009Flag of the United States.svg  Molly Huddle  (USA)32:06.6
2008Flag of the United States.svg  Molly Huddle  (USA)32:51.2
2007Flag of the United States.svg  Deena Kastor  (USA)32:01.0
2006Flag of the United States.svg  Katie McGregor  (USA)32:37.5
2005Flag of the United States.svg  Katie McGregor  (USA)32:25.2
2004Flag of Ireland.svg  Marie Davenport  (IRL)32:47.4
2003Flag of the United States.svg  Elva Dryer  (USA)32:33.3
2002Flag of the United States.svg  Marla Runyan  (USA)31:45.4
2001Flag of the United States.svg  Colleen deReuck  (USA)32:11
2000Flag of Kenya.svg  Catherine Ndereba  (KEN)32:46
1999Flag of the United States.svg  Libbie Hickman  (USA)32:49
1998Flag of the United States.svg  Libbie Hickman  (USA)31:57
1997Flag of Kenya.svg  Gladys Ondeyo  (KEN)32:46
1996Flag of Kenya.svg  Gladys Ondeyo  (KEN)32:47
1995Flag of the United States.svg  Collette Murphy  (USA)32:30
1994Flag of South Africa.svg  Elana Meyer  (RSA)31:39
1993Flag of the United States.svg  Lynn Jennings  (USA)32:02
1992Flag of the United States.svg  Lynn Jennings  (USA)32:22
1991Flag of the United States.svg  Lynn Jennings  (USA)32:12
1990Flag of the United States.svg  Lynn Jennings  (USA)32:39
1989Flag of the United States.svg  Lynn Jennings  (USA)31:57
1988Flag of New Zealand.svg  Anne Hannam  (NZL)31:38
1987Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg  Nancy Tinari  (CAN)32:22
1986Flag of Norway.svg  Ingrid Kristiansen  (NOR)31:40
1985Flag of the United States.svg  Joan Benoit Samuelson  (USA)31:49
1984Flag of the United States.svg  Betty Jo Geiger  (USA)31:51
1983Flag of the United States.svg  Joan Benoit Samuelson  (USA)31:36
1982Flag of New Zealand.svg  Anne Audain  (NZL)31:42
1981Flag of the United States.svg  Jan Merrill  (USA)32:04
1980Flag of the United States.svg  Patti Catalano  (USA)32:24
1979Flag of the United States.svg  Margaret Groos  (USA)32:47
1978Flag of the United States.svg  Joan Benoit Samuelson  (USA)33:15
1977Flag of the United States.svg  Lynn Jennings  (USA)34:31

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References

  1. "Tufts Health Plan 10 km Boston MA/USA". Association of Road Racing Statistic. Retrieved 25 November 2013.
  2. Singelai, Neil (16 October 1985). "Tufts 10 Takes Over for 'Bonne' This Fall". The Boston Globe.
  3. "Reebok Signs On As Title Sponsor of Boston 10K For Women". www.nerunner.com. 2 July 2018. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  4. "Largest Races, Women-Only". runningusa.org. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
  5. Granite State Race Services (2018-10-08). "Reebok Boston 10K for Women (formerly Tufts 10K for Women) 2018" . Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  6. "Boston 10K for Women cancelled, will be run virtually in 2020". MyBestRuns.com 1. Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  7. 1 2 "Weini Kelati sets American record at Boston 10K for Women - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2021-10-18.
  8. "The Course | Reebok Boston 10K for Women". Reebok Boston 10K for Women. Retrieved 2018-08-02.
  9. Shulman, Dan (2019-10-14). "Molly Huddle wins Reebok 10K for Women". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  10. McLoone, Dan (2018-10-08). "Emily Sisson a repeat winner in Reebok Boston 10K". The Boston Globe . Retrieved 2021-06-30.
  11. "USATF.TV - Events - USATF Women's 10 km Championship - Official Website".
List of winners