It doesn’t matter what occurs at Sunday’s TCS London Marathon, it’s already one for the historical past books, with probably the deepest and most fun lineup of elite athletes we’ve ever seen in a single race. The lads’s race has 5 of the world’s quickest marathoners (however not the four-time winner and course file holder Eliud Kipchoge, who had a on Monday). Any of them could possibly be in rivalry for victory at Sunday’s race.
and Kenenisa Bekele are each racing, however nobody expects them to win; Farah has mentioned this might be his final marathon, and he hasn’t run quicker than 2:05 since 2019. His build-up to London hasn’t been excellent, working 30:41 for 10K in Gabon, however the 40-year-old is wanting ahead to working a marathon in entrance of a house crowd one final time. Bekele can also be now over 40; he was fifth in London final 12 months, with a 40+ world file of two:05. He has stunned us earlier than (keep in mind that he solely ran his PB–nonetheless the third-fastest marathon in historical past at 2:01:41–in 2019).
Kenya’s is racing London for the primary time. The 2-time New York Metropolis Marathon champion was fourth at this 12 months’s World Cross Nation Championships (the occasion he received in 2017) and fifth within the marathon on the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Ore. Realistically, a PB of two:05 (earned on the 2021 Valencia Marathon, the place he completed fourth) will not be prone to get him onto the rostrum in a race in opposition to males whose PBs are two minutes quicker, however he’s an athlete who all the time appears to be in rivalry.
In case you searching for a winner, the protected guess is on defending champion ; he’s a coaching accomplice of 2023 Boston Marathon champion and third-place finisher Benson Kipruto, and his private greatest is a powerful 2:03:13, quicker than what he ran to win London final 12 months–2:04:39.
However his competitors received’t make it straightforward for him: Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew, Birhanu Legese and (the reigning world champion) have all raced London greater than as soon as, so they’re accustomed to the course. Geremew has podiumed twice within the final two years, and Legese has a PB of two:02:48. Tola has podiumed in three of his final 4 marathons and has run 2:06 or quicker in any respect of them. is one other athlete to look at in London, he has additionally podiumed in three of his final 4 races, successful the 2021 Chicago Marathon and inserting second in 2022 behind Benson Kipruto.
One other wild card is the Kenyan phenom, who blasted out a 2:01:53 debut marathon at Valencia final 12 months, turning into the third-fastest marathoner in historical past; London might be his first main.
Canada’s Rory Linkletter was on the beginning listing when the lads’s elite area was introduced in early February, however he has since withdrawn from the sphere on account of an damage he suffered in March.
The right way to watch
If in case you have a subscription to , you possibly can comply with Sunday’s marathon protection beginning at 3:30 a.m. E.T. The elite ladies will begin at 9 a.m. native time, whereas the elite males will go off at 9:40 a.m.