High hopes for women’s world record holder at London Marathon

As many of us still sit in awe of the women’s race at the 2024 Boston Marathon, it’s easy to forget that there’s another Abbott World Marathon Major this weekend in London. The race will be just as important as the last, with women’s marathon world record holder, Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, headlining an extremely deep women’s field, with high stakes, Olympic selection and potentially a world record on the line.

“I really think I’m capable of going under two hours and ten minutes.”

Women’s world marathon record-holder Tigist Assefa has even further ambitions after running 2:11:53 in Berlin last season 🔥

Ahead of her @LondonMarathon debut, she states she can even go sub-2:10 at some… pic.twitter.com/4vbcNuaDdl

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) April 18, 2024

For Assefa, this will be her fourth career marathon and her first time running a major not named Berlin. Assefa has won the last two editions of the Berlin Marathon, setting unprecedented times in both victories–2:15:37 (2022) and her world record, 2:11:53 (2023). The biggest questions for Assefa from journalists at Thursday’s press conference was what sort of shape she was in and how she will fare on the London course.

“Whether it’s Berlin or London, my strategy stays the same,” said Assefa. “I came to London to win, and I’m in record shape.”

The women’s field is targeting the women-only marathon world record of 2:17:02, set by Mary Keitany at the 2017 London Marathon. (The women-only category refers to a race where women run without any male athletes in competition or as pacers, which is the case in London, since women and men start at different times.

The women’s field is loaded with talent, including the reigning Olympic champion, Peres Jepchirchir, and the former world record holder, Brigid Kosgei. Besides Assefa, Kosgei will be one of the favourites, previously winning the London Marathon twice (in 2019 and 2020). Since then, her best marathon major finish was a 2:16:02 in Tokyo in 2022, and most recently, a fourth-place finish at the New York City Marathon last November.

As previously noted, the stakes are high for Jepchirchir and Kosgei, with Olympic team selection on the line. A win here in London could go a long way, cementing an athlete’s spot on Team Kenya for Paris. There’s added pressure for both women to perform, with Hellen Obiri and Sharon Lokedi going one-two at the Boston Marathon last weekend. All four women, plus former world champion Ruth Chepngetich are on the shortlist for potential selection. The deadline for national sporting organizations to select their marathon teams is May 5.

There are no Canadian elites in this year’s London Marathon women’s field, with Malindi Elmore now shifting her focus to Paris, and others racing in the next couple of weeks to chase the Olympic standard of 2:26:50.

Outside of the favourites, the Ethiopian trio of Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2:17:23), Tigist Ketema (2:16:07) and Megertu Alemu (2:17:09) are three athletes who could steal the win from their compatriot Assefa. Yehualaw, the current women’s 10K world record holder, has previously won London (in 2022) and has the legs to bounce the favourites in the closing stages. For Yehualaw, London is also an opportunity to impress the Ethiopian Olympic selection committee just a few weeks before they have to pick their team for Paris.

How to watch

If you are looking to stream the 2024 London Marathon from Canada on Sunday, the race will only be available on FloTrack. The elite wheelchair races will begin at 4:15 a.m. ET, followed by the elite women’s race at 4:30 a.m. ET and the men’s race and mass start at 5:00 a.m. ET.