Tirunesh Dibaba expecting second child, out for London Marathon
The London Marathon lineup is missing Dibaba, but it's still full of big names to watch next Sunday
One of the fastest marathoners in history, Tirunesh Dibaba, has announced that she and her husband are expecting their second child and that she won’t be racing for the remainder of the year.
I am very excited to announce that my husband and I are expecting our 2nd child! This means that I won’t be competing for the rest of the year but I hope with God’s help that I will return to competition next year. I want to thank my family, @Nike & all my fans for their support! pic.twitter.com/265sZ1IteE
— Tirunesh Dibaba (@tirudibaba) April 19, 2019
The Ethiopian runner has a marathon personal best of 2:17:56 from the London Marathon two years ago.
RELATED: Head-to-head battles you won’t want to miss this spring
https://www.instagram.com/p/BtRFC4-HDiu/
While the women’s elite lineup in London will miss Dibaba, the start line is still full of talent. The Molly Huddle and Emily Sisson battle could make history for American women. Both women have had impressive 2019 seasons. Sisson ran within seconds of Huddle’s American half-marathon record in Houston. Then the two women competed against each other three weeks ago at the Stanford Invitational 10,000m, where Sisson came out on top in 30:49 and the third fastest American woman of all time.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bvrcp01F-kv/
Huddle is going in with an extremely impressive personal best of 2:26:44, and London will be Sisson’s debut. Both women are clearly in incredible shape, and the women’s field is top-notch, so they are sure to push each other to some of the fastest American women’s times in history. Deena Kastor’s American record of 2:19:36 may not be within reach just yet, but it likely will be one day soon for these women.
Other women to watch in London are defending champion Vivian Cheruiyot and women’s-only world record-holder Mary Keitany. With seven women in the field with personal bests under 2:20:00, London has a historically deep field. The women’s race begins at 3:25 a.m. EDT, and the men go at 4:10 a.m. EDT.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
