Peres Jepchirchir and Alexander Mutiso will head back to the London Marathon to defend their 2024 titles, race organizers announced on Tuesday.
Jepchirchir’s final sprint in the closing moments of last year’s race gave her the win and a women’s-only world record of 2:16:16 as Tigst Assefa (2:16:23) and Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:16:24) battled for the second and third slots.
But she will face a women’s field that continues to get deeper with each daily announcement.
Late Tuesday, world record holder Ruth Chepngetich was added to the mix in a group that will also include Paris Olympic record holder Sifan Hassan. Chepngetich stunned the distance running world last October when she posted a blistering 2:09:56 mark in Chicago. Meawhile, Hassan looks to reclaim her London glory on the same course where she made her marathon debut in 2023, which ended in her needing a late push to take the win.
“London Marathon always brings together the best athletes in the world,” Chepngetich said in a statement “Myself, Peres and the other women are strong, so it will be a competitive one. I want to prepare as best as I can and we will see if we can lower Peres’s world record of 2:16:16 from last year. With the strength of the field, I think we can support each other and maybe the world record will fall.”
In the men’s field Mutiso returns to London after his 2:04:01 debut in the city gave him the edge over Kenenisa Bekele (2:04:15) and Emile Cairess (2:06:46).
But like Jepchirchir, Mutiso faces a considerable challenge on April 27 as Paris Olympic record holder Tamirat Tola joins an expanding elite men’s lineup.
Mutiso will look to use London as a rebuilding effort after finishing in 21st place in Paris in 2:10:31 on a very hilly course. His appearance in Paris was his only marathon since his win in London.
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