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≡ LONDON MARATHON ≡
Following on the heels of Monday’s exciting Boston Marathon, four former winners head the elite fields for the 45th London Marathon, coming up on Sunday, with the women’s race beginning at 9:05 a.m. local time, followed by the elite men at 9:35.
Good conditions, with temperatures in the 50s, are forecast with good fields, and all eyes on all-time great Eliud Kipchoge, now 40 and Olympic champ Tamirat Tola. The top men by lifetime best:
● 2:01:39 ‘22 ~ Eliud Kipchoge (KEN): 2x Olympic champ, London winner 2015-16-18-19
● 2:02:05 ‘24 ~ Sabastian Sawe (KEN): 2024 Valencia winner in debut!
● 2:02:55 ‘24 ~ Timothy Kiplagat (KEN): 2024 Tokyo runner-up
● 2:03:11 ‘23 ~ Alexander Mutiso Munyao (KEN): defending champion
● 2:03:17 ‘24 ~ Milkesa Mengesha (ETH): 2024 Berlin winner
● 2:03:39 ‘21 ~ Tamirat Tola (ETH): 2024 Olympic gold, 2022 Worlds gold
● 2:04:39 ‘24 ~ Mohamed Esa (ETH): 2023 Tokyo 2nd, 2024 Boston 2nd, Chicago 2nd
● 2:04:45 ‘24 ~ Abdi Nageeye (NED): Tokyo Olympic silver, 2024 New York winner
● 2:04:45 ‘24 ~ Hillary Kipkoech (KEN): Valencia 8th in 2024 in debut
● 2:05:48 ‘17 ~ Sondre Moen (NOR): 3x Olympian, 2017 Fukuoka winner
Kipchoge won the Worlds 5,000 m way back in 2003 but became a legend when he took to the roads, winning 11 of his first 12 marathons between 2013 and 2019. He suffered a rare eighth in London in 2020, but won his next four across 2021 and 2022 before a sixth in Boston in 2023 … followed by a Berlin win in 2:02:42.
But in 2024, he was10th at the Tokyo Marathon and did not finish in the Paris Olympic marathon, raising questions as to whether he would continue racing. But here he is; he hasn’t run a race other than a marathon since 2016!
Tola, 33, wins when it counts, at the 2022 Worlds and in Paris at the Olympic Games last year. This will be his 20th marathon and he’s won five, including the two golds, plus New York in 2023. At London, he was sixth in 2019 and 2020 and third in 2023.
Mutiso, last year’s winner, had finished in the top three in all four career marathons until he was 21st in Paris. The sleeper might be Nageeye, 36, who didn’t finish in Paris, but won at Rotterdam and New York; it’s his London debut.
The top women’s entries:
● 2:11:53 ‘23 ~ Tigst Assefa (ETH): ex-WR in Berlin 2023; London 2nd, Olympic 2nd 2024
● 2:13:44 ‘23 ~ Sifan Hassan (NED): Olympic champion; 2023 London, Chicago winner
● 2:16:24 ‘24 ~ Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN): 2021 London winner, 2nd 2022, 3rd 2024
● 2:16:34 ‘24 ~ Megertu Alemu (ETH): 2023 London 2nd, 2022 London 3rd
● 2:18:26 ‘24 ~ Stella Chesang (UGA): 2024 Valencia 2nd, Olympic 8th
● 2:19:29 ‘24 ~ Haven Hailu Desse (ETH): 2023 Osaka winner, 2022 Rotterdam winner
● 2:21:56 ‘24 ~ Susanna Sullivan (USA): 2023 London 10th, 2024 Chicago 7th
Hassan, 32, is absolutely amazing, winning the Tokyo Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 m golds and a 1,500 m, then turning around in Paris to win bronzes in the 5 and 10 and gold in the marathon! She won London in 2023 and is no. 3 on the all-time list with her 2023 Chicago time of 2:13:44, but has not run since the Olympic Games. She’s only run four career marathons, and won three.
Assefa, 28, is no. 2 with her Berlin world record of 2:11:53. As accomplished as she is, this is only her sixth career marathon, and she’s won two and finished second twice. Dangerous, very dangerous.
There are three stars making their marathon debuts who bear watching: Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the 2020 World Half Marathon champ and world-record setter at 56:42 in Barcelona (ESP) on 16 February, Alex Yee (GBR), the 2024 Olympic men’s triathlon champ, and British distance star Eilish McColgan, the 2022 European women’s 10,000 m silver winner.
Prize money is available to the top 12 placers: $55,000-30,000-22,500-15,000-10,000-7,500-5,000-4,000-3,000-2,000-1,500-1,000, a total of $156,500 per gender. Course record bonuses of $25,000 are available (better than 2:01:25 and 2:16:16) and $125,000 for a world record (better than 2:00:35 and 2:16:16).
Beyond the elites, London is trying to get the record for the most finishers ever in a marathon, set in 2024 by the NYC Marathon at 55,646.
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