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The TCS London Marathon will welcome the exciting duel of Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich versus Netherlands Sifan Hassan and Ethiopia’s Tamirit Tola this April 27. Chepngetich is the world record holder, the latter two defending Paris Olympic champions.

Sifan Hassan

Hassan has won Olympic gold over 5,000m, 10,000m, and the marathon distances. Hassan’s performance at the 2024 Paris Games added to her legendary status. “London is where I learned to be patient, to trust myself, and to keep pushing even when it feels impossible. It is a place where I grew, not just as an athlete, but as a person.”

Hassan’s debut in the marathon happened two years prior in London. She did so in a thrilling come-from-behind win.

Hassan has run the marathon as fast as 2:18:05, which she accomplished in Tokyo last year. She has won six Olympic medals, three of them gold with three bronze. Three medals each were won during the 2021 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

Ruth Chepngetich

Ruth Chepngetich turned the world on its ear during the 2024 Chicago Marathon by clocking a jaw-dropping 2:09:56 performance to smash the world record by Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia. It was set at 2:11:53 during the 2023 Berlin Marathon.

The media jumped hard on the stories when both athletes moved the needle on the world’s best time. Assefa improved on Kenyan Brigid Kosgei’s performance in 2019 at 2:14:04. Which eclipsed the 16-year-long standing 2:15:25 by England’s Paula Radcliffe. What an upset.

London will be an opportunity for her to change the landscape further.

Tamirit Tola

Tola set a new Games record in Paris on a course that had most prognosticators concerned that the very large hill at 32 kilometres would slow the field. It did not, especially Tola. “Winning the Paris Olympic Marathon was the greatest moment of my running career,” shared Tola. “But I don’t want it to be my last.”

The 34-year-old has run the marathon as fast as 2:03:39, which he did in Amsterdam in 2021. Nine times he has run sub-2:07 and five of them under 2:05. His Paris record run of 2:06:26 betters Kenyan Sammy Wanjiru’s 2:06:32 from Beijing 2008. He is also the 2022 World Marathon Champion from the Eugene World Athletics Championships.

The 2025 London Marathon will feature four Paris Olympic gold medallists including Paralympic champions Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner.

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