Mouth-watering line-ups at the 2025 London Marathon

The 45th edition of the race on April 27 looks set to boast arguably its strongest fields in history

Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events, describes the elite fields for the 2025 TCS London Marathon, as the greatest in the history of the event – and it’s difficult to disagree.

The event on April 27 is set to feature all four reigning Olympic and Paralympic champions – Sifan Hassan, Tamirat Tola, Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug plus defending champions Alex Mutiso and Peres Jepchirchir and the owner of the new women’s world record of 2:09:56, Ruth Chepngetich.

Brits racing include Emile Cairess, fresh from his Olympic fourth place last summer, Eilish McColgan, Charlotte Purdue, Rose Harvey, Mahamed Mahamed and Phil Sesemann, together with David Weir and Eden Rainbow-Cooper in the wheelchair races. There is also excitement in seeing how Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee will fare on his marathon debut.

After a week-long period of elite athlete announcements, the organisers have today added Tigist Assefa of Ethiopia, the two-time BMW Berlin Marathon champion and Olympic Games silver medallist, whose personal best of 2:11:53 is the second fastest of all time for women.

What’s more, the race will include Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya, the 2021 London Marathon champion, and Alemu Megertu of Ethiopia, the two-time podium finisher at the London Marathon and winner of the 2024 Valencia Marathon. Jepkosgei and Megertu were third and fourth at the 2024 TCS London Marathon and bring the total of women in the field with PBs under 2:17 to a record-breaking six.

There is an exciting marathon debut in the elite men’s race as Jacob Kiplimo, as the Ugandan joins Tola, Cairess and Mutiso on the start line of his first 26.2-mile race. The 24-year-old is the reigning world cross country champion and has won Olympic and World Championship medals over 10,000m on the track. He is also a double (5000m and 10,000m) Commonwealth champion from Birmingham 2022 and is the second-fastest man in history over the half-marathon distance with 57:31.

Jacob Kiplimo (NYRR)

Also confirmed for the elite men’s race is  Sabastian Sawe of Kenya, who ran the fifth-fastest time in history when he won the 2024 Valencia Marathon in 2:02:05 on his debut over the 26.2-mile distance; the reigning BMW Berlin Marathon champion, Milkesa Mengesha of Ethiopia; and Timothy Kiplagat of Kenya, who ran 2:02:55 to finish second…