Cooper Teare, Katelyn Tuohy, Rachel Smith share updates after 2026 Boston 5K

BOSTON — It was an Ethiopian sweep on Boylston Street on Saturday morning as Addisu Yihune and Gela Hambese took the titles at the 2026 Boston 5K. Yihune, who has run 12:49 on the track and was leading last month’s World Indoor 3,000 final at the bell before fading to 8th, broke away in the final mile on Saturday and won in an event record of 13:14 over countryman Mezgebu Sime (13:21). Cooper Teare, who won here in 2024, was the top American in 4th in 13:25. Hambese used a similar strategy to Yihune, breaking free of American Katie Izzo to win in 15:28 as Rachel Smith (15:33) ran down Izzo in the final meters to take second.

After the race, LetsRun.com caught up with Teare, Izzo, Smith, and Katelyn Tuohy (10th in 15:53) to hear about their plans for the rest of the 2026 season.

*Full results

Men’s top 5 results
1. Addisu Yihune, Ethiopia 13:14
2. Mezgebu Sime, Ethiopia 13:21
3. Edwin Kurgat, Kenya 13:23
4. Cooper Teare, 13:25
5. Patrick Kiprop, 13:26

Women’s top 5 results
1. Gela Hambese, Ethiopia 15:28
2. Rachel Smith, USA 15:33
3. Katie Izzo, USA 15:33
4. Lea Meyer, Germany 15:35
5. Katie Camarena, 15:37

Cooper Teare feeling strong after biggest altitude block of his career, gearing up for US road 5k champs

Teare came to Boston after a five-week stint of training in Flagstaff — much longer in duration and higher in elevation than his previous altitude trips.

“I haven’t been to 7,000 feet [before],” Teare said. “We’ve been going to Provo, Utah, for the last two years and it’s a lot different going from 5,000 to 7,000. So it’s been a bit of an adjustment, but at the same time, it’s been cool to work hard and be on my own schedule a little bit more…To come here and feel as good as I did and have the body feel really good, I was really happy for it.”

Teare, who is coached by Ben Thomas, said he is looking ahead to running a fast 5,000 at the LA Grand Prix in June, but in the more immediate future, he is targeting the US road 5K championships in Indianapolis on May 2. The top two finishers in that race will earn berths at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen in September.

“[It’s] a year that you can kind of go out and just go balls to the wall and see what happens,” Teare said.

Rachel Smith was excited to be in a close race again, hoping to target a fast half later in 2026

Smith, 34, prevailed in a tight battle with Izzo down the stretch on Saturday and said that she enjoyed duking it out at the end of the race after many of her recent races had been more spread out.

“It was super fun to just be racing again,” Smith said. “I feel like a lot of my races recently have been in no-man’s-land and running a lot alone.”

Smith is one year removed from giving birth to her second daughter, Harper (her older daughter, Nova, turns three tomorrow), and though she has been racing a fair amount this year, the trips produce more logistical challenges than before. She was 11th at the US Half Marathon championships on March 1, then 7th at the Gate River Run 15K on March 7 and 14th at the Cherry Blossom 10-Mile last weekend.

“I haven’t been able to race as much as I would like,” said Smith, who is married to Nike Swoosh TC Flagstaff coach Mike Smith. “Our schedules are so busy with two girls, and it’s much harder to travel with two instead of one.”

Smith, a 2021 Olympian at 5,000 meters, said her plan is to stay on the roads this summer with the hope of building toward a fast half marathon. She has run nine in her career but feels her 71:29 pb is due for some revision.

“I’ve run a handful of them but they’re really hilly courses or very close after giving birth so I’d love to hit a half marathon,” Smith said.

Katie Izzo is targeting a marathon debut in the fall

Izzo, who was 2nd at the US cross country championships in December and 24th at World XC in January, said that while she may run a few track races this year, her main focus will be on the roads. She’s considering running the US 5k road championships two weeks from now, but the big aim is a marathon debut this fall. Izzo, who has a 69:37 half marathon pb, has never done a long run longer than 18 miles, but said she is excited for the challenge.

“I’ve always enjoyed the long runs, it just comes easy to me, the longer distances,” Izzo said. “I know the marathon is such a beast, I’m sure it’s going to be very challenging, but I’m more excited [than fearful].”

Katelyn Tuohy targeting US road 5k champs, hoping to make progress after health issue during indoor season

Tuohy, 24, had a rough indoor season as she failed to break 4:30 in either of her mile races and finished 15th in the US 3,000m final. Today was her first time racing a 5k on the roads, and she said it was a learning experience.

“I thought I had a pretty good strategy but I let the pack get away from me,” Tuohy said. “I wanted to save a little bit because I knew there was a hill, but I think that was my mistake because once I lost contact, it was really hard to reel them back in…I’m excited for next year because now I know what to expect.”

Tuohy said one of the reasons she wanted to run this race was to prep for the US road 5k champs in two weeks’ time, which she expects to be competitive given spots at the World Road Running champs are on the line.

“Track this year is a little different without there being a World Championship,” Tuohy said. “I think a lot of people are looking at the road championship instead.”

After a decorated career at NC State during which she won four NCAA titles, Tuohy’s professional career has been a struggle so far. She missed the first half of her first year in 2024 due to injury, and last year, she finished a disappointing 19th in the US 5,000 final. Tuohy said that she was dealing with some non-running-related health issues this winter (she declined to go into specifics), something that she is still managing. But she feels she is in a better place now than she was at the start of the year.

“I was dealing with some health issues that we were trying to figure out. Trying to force races while going through that was hard. We were trying to figure things out. I think we’re on the right path, got some answers so I’m excited to keep working with my people and try to figure things out. I think I’m in a good place.

Eric Holt, Dorcus Ewoi win B.A.A. Miles

Eric Holt and Dorcus Ewoi used different strategies to prevail in the B.A.A. Miles on a windy morning on Boylston Street. Holt left it late, kicking free of a large pack in the final meters to win in 4:06.64 in a race in which the top six were separated by less than a second. Meanwhile Ewoi, who earned 1500m silver at last year’s World Championships for Kenya, was clear of the field by the final loop of the three-lap race and won by almost five seconds in an event record of 4:29.73.

*Full results

Holt was grateful to win and get his dad off his back

Holt raced 22 times in 2025 and did not win a single one, a winless streak that extended through his first eight races of 2026. So he was very grateful to finally taste victory again on Saturday.

“My dad said the other day, oh you haven’t won a race in forever,” Holt said.

Now Holt is hoping to keep it going. His shoe deal with Puma expired at the end of the year and he was not renewed. He knows that he will need more wins in 2026 if he is to earn another contract at age 30.

“I’m just thankful to win this race today and show people I can still win. I’m not washed up and my best days of running are ahead of me.”

Dorcus Ewoi looking forward to a couple of fast Diamond Leagues

Ewoi, who raced twice indoors but did not run World Indoors, felt her training had been going well recently and as a result decided to push the pace from the front. She was pleased to start her outdoor campaign with a win and will now prepare to head to China for the Diamond League opener on May 16. Ewoi will have to be on her A game there as the strong field includes the likes of Olympic medalists Jess  Hull and Tsige Duguma, plus Birke Haylom, Emily Mackay, and newly-crowned Aussie champ Claudia Hollinsgworth.

MB Shanghai Diamond League Women’s 1500m STACKED