BOSTON — The weather looks good, Sharon Lokedi is fit, and the fastest field in Boston Marathon history could push her to a second straight course record — if she decides to go for it.A year after shattering the women’s mark by more than 2½ minutes, the defending champion will head to the starting line in Hopkinton on Monday for the 130th edition of the world’s oldest and most prestigious annual marathon. Reigning men’s champion and fellow Kenyan John Korir is also back to lead a field of more than 30,000 on the 26.2-mile (42.195-kilometer) race to Boston’s Copley Square.Cool weather and an expected tailwind will greet them in Hopkinton — perhaps the ideal conditions for more fast times like last year, when Lokedi finished in 2 hours, 17 minutes, 22 seconds to break the 11-year-old course record and deprive runner-up Hellen Obiri of a third straight win. Korir’s 2:04:45 was the third-fastest ever as he joined his brother to become a Boston Marathon champion.“Last year was crazy fast, so I don’t know if it will be the same thing this year. But whichever one, I’m excited for,” Lokedi said this week as she prepared to defend her title. “You never know. I feel like that is always determined by when you get to the start line.”Joining her there will be what is being called the strongest field in race history.The entire …
