World record holder headlines elite field at 2024 London Marathon

The women’s marathon world record holder, Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, is taking on another marathon major that isn’t Berlin. Assefa has been announced as the headliner of a world-class women’s elite race field at the 2024 TCS London Marathon on April 21.

Last September, Assefa ran a staggering two hours, 11 minutes, and 53 seconds at the 2023 Berlin Marathon to take nearly two and a half minutes off the previous record of 2:14:04 set by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, who is also in the London 2024 field. Kosgei has won the London Marathon twice (2019 and 2020) and was a runner-up to her Kenyan compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot in 2018.

The 2019 world marathon champion, Ruth Chepngetich, will also be in the field, which means three of the four fastest women in history will compete in London. Race director Hugh Brasher said in a press release that he believes we are in the golden age of women’s marathon running, and expects Mary Keitany’s women-only world record of 2:17:01 to be challenged with this star-studded field.

Adding more power to the elite field is the reigning Olympic marathon champion and one of the best tactical female marathoners in the world, Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir, who returns from an injury sustained last fall to get in top form before the Paris Olympics.

“I suspect that with Assefa, Kosgei, and the likes of Chepngetich, Jepchirchir and Yalemzerf Yehualaw in the field, and where a total of 10 women have run under two hours, 17 minutes and 30 seconds, Keitany’s world record is going to be under serious threat,” Brasher said in a press release.

The reigning New York City Marathon champion, Tamirat Tola, headlines the men’s field. The Ethiopian marathoner and 2022 world champion is currently the odds-on favourite to win Olympic gold in Paris, due to his success on tough marathon courses. He will be up against fellow countrymen Kenenisa Bekele and Mosinet Geremew, the seventh fastest man in history. From Kenya, last year’s second-place finisher, Geoffrey Kamworor leads the way. Alexander Mutiso (2:03:11) and 2024 RAK Half-Marathon champ Daniel Mateiko, who will be making his marathon debut, will join Kamworor on the start line. Mateiko is the ninth-fastest of all time over the half-marathon distance and paced the late Kelvin Kiptum during his world record-setting run at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.

There are no Canadian athletes on the men’s and women’s elite list for the 2024 London Marathon. You can view the full list of elites in London here.