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April’s London Marathon may be one of the most stacked races ever

The elite men's field for the 2016 London Marathon was announced on Tuesday featuring arguably one of the deepest fields in history.

2016 London Marathon

The 2016 London Marathon elite men’s field was announced on Tuesday and it may be one of the deepest fields in recent years with the world record holder, the reigning world champion, and the defending champion in the field.

The Virgin Money London Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, the most prestigious category for road races, will be run on April 24. The women’s field was announced last week.

RELATED: Astronaut Tim Peake to run London Marathon from space.

Because countries have a limited number of entries to the Olympic Games, the London Marathon will be arguably more competitive than the Rio 2016 marathon featuring a field of five Kenyans, four Ethiopians, and five Eritreans.

Dennis Kimetto, the fastest man in history with a 2:02:57 clocking to his name, will go head-to-head with defending champion Eliud Kipchoge and the 20-year-old world champion Ghirmay Ghebreslassie. Kipchoge won the 2015 Berlin Marathon, one year after Kimetto set the world record on that very course in the German capital.

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Wilson Kipsang, the former world record holder, won the London Marathon in 2012 and 2014 and will join Kenenisa Bekele, arguably one of the greatest runners in athletics history, on the start line.

Bekele holds the 5,000m and 10,000m world record and ran 2:05:04 at the 2014 Paris Marathon while no one has run the London Marathon faster than Kipsang (course record holder of 2:04:29).

RELATED: London Marathon women’s field announced, race to be one of 2016’s best.

One dark horse will be Bedan Karoki as he makes his 42.2K debut in London in April. The Japanese-based runner has run sub-27 in the 10,000m and has finished in the top-six at the previous two IAAF world championships as well as the 2012 Olympic Games.

Elite men’s field and personal bests

Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:04:00 — Defending champion
Dennis Kimetto (KEN) 2:02:57 — WR
Wilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:03:23 — 2012 and 2014 champion
Endeshaw Negesse (ETH) 2:04:52
Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:04:55
Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2:05:04 — 5,000m/10,000m WR holder
Tilahun Regassa (ETH) 2:05:27
Abera Kuma (ETH) 2:05:56
Samuel Tsegay (ERI) 2:07:28
Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 2:07:47 — Reigning world champion
Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:08:17
Serhiy Lebid (UKR) 2:08:32
Arne Gabius (GER) 2:08:33
Tewelde Estifanos (ERI) 2:09:16
Ghebrezgiabhier Kibrom (ERI) 2:09:36
Vitaliy Shafar (UKR) 2:09:58
Marcin Chabowski (POL) 2:10:07
Scott Overall (GBR) 2:10:55
Chris Thompson (GBR) 2:11:14
Yuki Sato (JPN) 2:12:12
Callum Hawkins (GBR) 2:12:17
Nordstad Moen (NOR) 2:12:54
Lee Merrien (GBR) 2:13:41
Derek Hawkins (GBR) 2:14:04
Shawn Forrest (AUS) 2:14:37
Kevin Seaward (IRL) 2:14:52
Phil Wicks (GBR) 2:15:37
Paul Pollock (IRL) 2:15:38
Ben Moreau (GBR) 2:15:52
Ian Kimpton (GBR) 2:15:55
Matthew Hynes (GBR) 2:16:00
John Beattie (GBR) 2:16:38
Andrew Davies (GBR) 2:16:55
Stephen Scullion (IRL) 2:34:33
Bedan Karoki (KEN) debut
Gervais Hakizimana (RWA) debut
Jonathan Hay (GBR) debut
Ryan McLeod (GBR) debut
Alejandro Fernandez Martin (ESP) debut

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