It was a sensational day in Boston for the 130th Boston Marathon, but the day just got better. John Korir shattered the course record while both he and Sharon Lokedi defended their titles. While records were being shattered, one of the most compelling stories wasn’t on the course, but at the finish line, where a former President was just a proud father. President Bill Clinton stood at the finish line for one reason only: to watch his daughter cross it.

Chelsea Clinton finished the Boston Marathon with a rather impressive time of 3:40:52. The 46-year-old author and former first daughter clocked in an average pace of just under 8:30 per mile and was met with the beaming smile of her parents. Not only that, but they also awarded her and the two policemen who ran with her the shiny gold finisher’s medal.

However, her race was far from perfect as she took a slight tumble around mile 23, about three miles before the finish line.

“I fell on mile 23,” Chelsea said as per a clip taken by WCVB NewsCenter 5 Boston. “It was brutal.”

It’s why her hands were bloodied, and she even told her parents the same in another clip that is floating across social media. However, her biggest concern would have been her leg, which she injured when she fell off a treadmill just weeks before the race. But Clinton recovered in time to complete her first-ever Boston Marathon.

“I don’t have any good story,” Clinton explained about the injury on The View (via People) after the race. “I just was not really paying attention, so I wasn’t sure I was going to make it.”

Yet, that comes as no real surprise, given that the author and philanthropist has been an avid marathoner for quite some time. Although this may have been her first race in Boston, Chelsea Clinton became an avid runner after graduating from Stanford. However, it wasn’t until she turned 40 that the former first daughter decided to take up marathoning. Since then, she has run the New York City Marathon four times, reducing her time each time.

Monday’s race marked Clinton’s seventh marathon, and her finishing time put her in line for the 2027 Boston Marathon if she decides to go again. For context, runners need a sub-3:45:00 mark to qualify. Now, the family couldn’t be prouder of her achievement.

“Congratulations @ChelseaClinton for setting a new personal best in the @bostonmarathon! We’re so proud of you — today and every day!” Bill Clinton wrote on X.

Her marathon journey shows a clear pattern of improvement, starting with a 3:59:09 debut in 2021. Despite a slower 4:20:34 in 2022, she shaved significant time off in subsequent years, dropping to 3:45:51 in 2024 and 3:44:22 in 2025, culminating in her new personal best in Boston.

It was made that much more special by the presence of her family at the finish line, especially after recent health concerns for her father.

“My father had just been in the hospital — thankfully, he’s doing great —but I was really horrified by the prospect of ‘What if my parents come to the finish line and I can’t finish?’ ” Chelsea added, on The View.

However, while reports indicated that she registered under a pseudonym, the Boston Marathon’s official website and its tracking show that she ran under her own name. Not only that, but it also reveals that Clinton came in 17,670th place and was among the fastest 6,500 women in the race. And she wasn’t the only celebrity in the race, with a catalogue of others making their own mark.

Clinton joins a host of celebrities who ran the 2026 Boston Marathon

On a chilly but clear day in Boston, over 30,000 people took to the streets to run the 130th edition of the Boston Marathon, and Chelsea Clinton was among them. Yet while the former first daughter was among the better-known celebrities, she wasn’t the only one. Comedian Laura Green, known for her now-iconic, sarcastic posts about running, participated as well.

Among the celebrity field, a friendly competition emerged on the clock. Comedian Laura Green finished in a strong 3:50:17, but Dropkick Murphys’ Jeff DaRosa edged out Clinton by 20 seconds, crossing the line in 3:40:32 while also raising money for the band’s Claddagh Fund.

“We’re proud as hell to tell ya…our very own Jeff DaRosa is doing the Boston Marathon on Monday — and he’ll be running in support of Claddagh Fund !!” the band wrote on Instagram. “Please help Jeff help Veterans, Children, and Addiction Recovery by donating at the link in bio above !!”

Suni Williams, a former astronaut and the first woman to run a marathon in space, joined them. She completed the 2007 Boston Marathon in space and then completed a virtual version of the Falmouth Road Race in 2024. However, she finally hit the ground during the 2026 edition, clocking in at 5:52:49 in the W60-64.

And if that was impressive, then Des Linden did something far better, as just days after racing Marathon des Sables, she lined up in Boston. The 42-year-old ran the grueling and unforgiving nearly 270 km race across the Sahara Desert, flew across the world, and then landed in time for the Boston Marathon. There, she clocked in 2:35:49, which is just 13 minutes behind Carrie Ellwood, who finished as the tenth fastest woman runner with 2:22:53.

In a race packed with elite performances and headline moments, that finish-line scene offered a different kind of highlight. While records fell and champions delivered, Bill Clinton’s appearance ultimately added a personal touch to an already memorable Boston Marathon.