Sri Lankan representation in the Boston Marathon, USA.

(Sameera Madushanka Hewa Gamage)

The Boston Marathon, the oldest and most important marathon in the world for 130 years, was held on April 20 in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and this is the 130th race to be held in 2026. In it, Gamini Sugathadasa of Sri Lanka won the gold medal in the 55-59 age group. The fastest time for a Sri Lankan athlete in that age group was 2 hours: 36 minutes: 32 seconds, which entered the Sri Lankan record books. Over 3800 competitors competed in that age group and over thirty thousand competitors competed in the entire race. Only competitors who have exceeded the basic level of fitness are eligible to compete in this race. This is the sixth Boston Marathon that Gamini Sugathadasa has participated in.

Gamini Sugathadasa

Hiruni Wijayaratne, who has set 11 records in Sri Lanka for long distance and middle distance events, is the only athlete to finish this Boston Marathon this year. She holds a Master's degree in Communication and a Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Kentucky in the United States. She currently resides in Colorado, United States, and trains with world-renowned coach Brad Hudson and the Hudson Elite team. Hiruni has represented Sri Lanka at the 2017 IAAF World Championships, 2018 Asian Games, and 2018 Commonwealth Games. She is a former Sri Lankan national record holder in the women's marathon and the 10,000m.

The Boston Marathon is held on the third Monday of April every year, and Patriots' Day is a legal holiday in the state of Massachusetts. It is a historical event that commemorates the first battle of the American Revolution at Lexington and Concord in 1775. On that day, the people of Massachusetts take to the streets to show their support for the marathon.

The 117th Boston Marathon, which was held on April 15, 2013, was a dark day in the history of the race. The first bombing took place at 2.49 pm near the finish line. A second bombing occurred minutes later.

Kevin De Silva of Sri Lankan descent wins Gold at Australian Junior Athletics Nationals.

The Australian Junior Athletics Nationals Championship was held at the QSAC Brisbane stadium in Brisbane, Queensland, and the 15-year-old Sri Lankan Kevin de Silva won the gold medal in the Under-17 100m event - a PB of 10.75 seconds, the bronze medal in the 200m event - a PB of 21.53 seconds and the gold medal in the 100m × 4m relay.

The 2025 All Schools Australian National Championships were held at Lakeside Stadium in Melbourne, where Kevin de Silva won a Three of gold medals. He won the 100m with a time of 10.86, the 200m with a time of 21.77 and the 100×4m relay. Kevin de Silva's current coach is Australian Mike Donato.

Sri Lanka's Isiwaruna De Silva is among the outstanding talents who participated in the World Pentathlon Championship.

The World Pentathlon Championship was recently held in Cairo, Egypt, and the competition is organized annually by the World Pentathlon Association. Isiwaruna De Silva participated as the first Sri Lankan athlete to participate in such a competition for Sri Lanka for the first time. He finished the competition at 103rd place in the open category and is ranked 141st in the world rankings. Isiwaruna De Silva has qualified to compete in the Asian Games to be held in Japan in September this year.

This competition consists of five sports. The first event is 100m swimming, the second event is fencing, the third event is obstacle course and the last two events are 600m running and shooting, both of which are competed in alternating rounds for five rounds without stopping.

(Sameera Madushanka Hewa Gamage)