Sunita Williams to run 130th Boston Marathon, returning after barefoot teen run and historic space marathon

Sunita Williams will be among the runners in the 130th Boston Marathon on Monday, April 20, with the Boston Athletic Association confirming her participation in the race that stretches 26.2 miles from Hopkinton to Back Bay. The Boston Marathon, first held in 1897 and run each year on Patriots’ Day, remains the world’s oldest annual marathon. This year’s edition will feature more than 30,000 runners from over 130 countries and all 50 US states, passing through eight Massachusetts towns before finishing at Copley Square.

A return shaped by experience, on Earth and beyond

Williams, a Needham, Massachusetts native and former US Navy captain, spent more than 27 years at NASA and logged 608 days in space across three missions. She holds the record for the most spacewalking time by a woman, with 62 hours across nine excursions, and retired at the end of 2025. She and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore returned to Earth in March 2025 after a planned one-week mission extended into a 286-day stay due to issues with their spacecraft’s thrusters. Her connection to the Boston Marathon goes back to when she was 17, when she ran the course without being officially entered. “I had high-top sneakers. I didn’t have running shoes, and they were hurting my feet. So I just gave them my mom, and I said, ‘Okay, I’ll finish with this guy. and I’m just going to run barefoot,” Williams said, speaking to NewsCenter 5. She later completed the full 26.2-mile distance in 2007 while aboard the International Space Station, becoming the first person to run a marathon in space. Her decision to return this year follows a commitment she made in May 2025 while speaking at Merrimack College’s graduation ceremony. “I have a challenge to myself and I’ll say it right now that I’m hoping to run the Boston Marathon in 2026,” she said. “So, I’m going to make myself do it now that I’ve said it out loud.” “I turned 60 this year, so why not give it another shot?” she said.

How she views the race now

Williams said she understands what the race demands, even with her experience. “They always intimidate me. They’re always terrible at some point in time,” she said, laughing, in remarks to NewsCenter 5. “It’s going to be hard. So, at some point in time, you’re just going to have to dig deep a little bit just to keep going,” she said. She added that she is prepared to manage the race as it unfolds. Williams said she is confident she can complete the distance and has enough experience to give herself room to adjust if needed during the 26.2-mile course.

Conditions expected to favour runners

Weather forecasts indicate cooler conditions for race day. Temperatures are expected to start near 40°F (around 4°C) in Hopkinton and rise into the mid-to-upper 40s°F (approximately 8°C to 9°C) in Boston by early to mid-afternoon. No significant rain or snow is expected. Winds are forecast between 10 and 25 miles per hour (16 to 40 km/h) from the northwest, blowing across the course. Final conditions will be confirmed after a frontal system moves through eastern Massachusetts on Sunday night.

Recognition on race day

Williams will also receive the Patriots’ Award from the Boston Athletic Association, an annual honour given to individuals recognised for being patriotic, philanthropic and inspirational. Her participation adds to a field that includes elite runners, amateur athletes and charity participants, all covering the same 26.2-mile route across Massachusetts.