Olympic champion Sifan Hassan returns to her first marathon since her glorious victory in Paris last year in London this Sunday (27). The indomitable Dutch runner is never an athlete to shy away from a challenge.
She made a valiant defence of her Olympic 5000m and 10,000m titles in Paris, winning bronze in both, before her iconic victory on the Esplanade des Invalides where she outsprinted Ethiopian Tigist Assefa for gold. The duo will renew their rivalry in the streets of the British capital.
"It's a beautiful sport"
Hassan won the 2023 London Marathon and Assefa was runner-up in last year’s race. "I never knew that I'd have that much patience for a race like the marathon," said Hassan, speaking at the official press conference on Thursday (24). "Every marathon is different, like Paris, Chicago, London or Tokyo.
"Every time you run the London Marathon, it's like competing the Olympics. I'm excited to race because we all know each other as well. It's a beautiful sport."
"I've never been this scared"
The big home hope in the women’s race is Eilish McColgan. Three times a medallist at the European Athletics Championships (Berlin 2018 5000m silver, Munich 2022 10,000m silver & 5000m bronze), this will be her first race over the classic distance.
She has significant family history with the event, her mother, Liz McColgan won the 1996 London Marathon. A mark of 2:26:52 is the target for the McColgan family record.
“I’ve never been this scared. It’s just a complete unknown,” she admitted. “I’ve run 21 miles in training. We’ve never got anywhere near 26, so what happens after 20 miles? I don’t know, but there’s 55,000 other people on the start line all thinking the exact same thing.
“I’m super nervous, but there’s really an overriding feeling of excitement. I can’t wait to be on the streets with people cheering us, and having that sort of buzz in a race.”
Europeans prominent in fast men's field
The men’s race also has plenty of European interest, including New York Marathon winner Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, Germany's Amanal Petros and Italy’s Roma 2024 European half marathon champion Yemaneberhan Crippa.
36-year-old Nageeye, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist, proved he still has plenty in the tank when he won his first marathon major in New York last November.
Petros will likely have an eye on Samuel Fitwi’s German record 2:04:56, his own lifetime best time is a mere two seconds away, recorded in Berlin in 2023. He also recently set a new German half marathon record of 59:31, also in Berlin, so arrives in London in fine form.
Crippa, a European champion over 10,000m (Munich 2022) and half marathon (Roma 2024) will also be aiming for a lifetime best and 2:05:24. Yohanes Chiappinelli’s national record of 2:05:24 set in Valencia in December.
A searing pace is expected from a field that includes Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, 2024 world leader Sabastian Sawe of Kenya, Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, the world half marathon record holder (56:42) and the legendary Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya, twice Olympic champion and a four-time winner in London.
Grøvdal debuts in Hamburg
Meanwhile, strong international fields have also been assembled for the Hamburg Marathon which also takes place on Sunday (27). Four-times SPAR European Cross Country Champion Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal makes her marathon debut.
The Norwegian demonstrated her endurance range, by winning gold over half marathon at Roma 2024, but the marathon is still unchartered territory. Former world record holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya leads the entries in what is expected to be another fast race.
Munich 2022 marathon winner Richard Ringer is Germany’s biggest hope in the men’s race and with a lifetime best of 2:05:46, he too may also have an eye on Fitwi’s national record.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics