Four-time Olympian Shalane Flanagan will miss the Boston Marathon in April due to a fracture in her back that will keep her out four to six weeks, according to race officials.
Flanagan, 35, was part of a Boston field that included five of the six U.S. Olympic marathon runners from Rio. She was the top American in the Rio women’s marathon, placing sixth.
Flanagan, who grew up in Marblehead, Mass., raced Boston in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Her best Boston finish was fourth in 2013, the year the race was rocked by twin bombings.
The Boston women’s field includes Desi Linden, who was seventh in Rio and the last U.