Masters Women at Boston 2026: Sara Hall Runs Them All Down

• Sara Hall wins in 2:31:55 (5:48/mi), the fastest Masters Women's finish at this year's race, pulling away from a field of 6,862.
• Lisa Weightman (2:32:41) and Desiree Linden (2:35:49) complete the podium — 46 seconds and nearly four minutes back, respectively.
• Laura Pifer's closing surge carried her from 57th among women at the 5K to 36th by the finish, earning her 4th in the Masters Women's field in 2:37:33.
• Maria Lindberg faded late, slipping from 30th among women at the opening split to 49th by the finish — still good enough for 5th in 2:40:30.

Sara Hall ran a controlled, confident race from the front. She sat 3rd among women through the first 5K, then gradually yielded ground to the open women's field as the miles accumulated — sliding to 21st among women by the finish — but within the Masters Women's race, no one came close. Her 5:48/mi average in 51°F conditions with a 10 mph wind was the standard no one could match, and her 13th-fastest women's split on the 15K–20K stretch showed she was still pushing hard through the middle miles when others were beginning to calculate their survival.

Lisa Weightman was sharp early, posting the 21st-fastest women's split on the 5K–10K segment, and she held her position among the women's field remarkably steady — hovering between 20th and 23rd from start to finish. That consistency nearly wasn't enough, though: Hall had built too much of a cushion. Weightman crossed in 2:32:41, 46 seconds behind, to claim a well-earned silver.

Desiree Linden ran the kind of race she's known for — patient and progressive. She was 42nd among women at the 5K, and she spent the entire race moving forward, posting the 20th-fastest women's split on the 30K–20M stretch and ultimately finishing 30th among women in 2:35:49. Third in the Masters Women's field by nearly three and a half minutes over Linden, Laura Pifer (2:37:33) was the race's most consistent climber, advancing from 57th among women at the opening checkpoint all the way to 36th by the tape at 6:01/mi.

Behind the top four, Karen Bertasso (6th, 2:41:25), Polly Cunes (7th, 2:43:07), and Laena Romond (8th, 2:43:35) rounded out a tight cluster, separated by just 28 seconds across three spots. In a Masters Women's field of 6,862, every minute — and every position — was earned on a cold, breezy Patriot's Day in Boston.