118th Boston Marathon
Watch it: Live streaming begins at 7:30 a.m. on universalsports.com.
Top men: Ryan Hall of the U.S., fourth in Boston in 2011; Meb Keflezighi, three-time U.S. Olympian; Jason Hartmann, the top American in Boston the past two years; defending champion Lelisa Desisa of Ethiopia; Kenyan Micah Kogo, runner-up last year; Kenyan Dennis Kimetto, Berlin runner-up in 2012.
Top women: Desiree Linden, second in Boston in 2011 and the last American woman to reach the podium; defending champion Rita Jeptoo of Kenya; Shalane Flanagan, fourth last year in Boston; Kenyan Sharon Cherop, 2012 Boston champ; Kenyan Caroline Kilel, 2011 Boston champ; Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba, second in New York last fall; Ethiopian Mare Dibaba, whose personal record of 2:19:52 is the best in the field.
Absent: Kara Goucher, who was a state champion at Duluth East and an Olympian in 2012, has a stress fracture and will not run.
Start times (Central): Elite women, 8:32 a.m.; elite men 9 a.m.
