Sifan Hassan and Tamirat Tola are set to headline the London Marathon on April 27 as organizers announced on Monday that the Paris Olympic champions will kick off their 2025 campaigns at a major.
For Hassan, she returns to the site of her marathon debut where she pulled off a stunning 2:18:33 comeback victory. Her legend grew at the Paris Games last August when she sprinted to 2:22:55 Olympic record and winning gold — her third medal in in three events.
She is the only woman in the history of the sports to win gold in the Olympic in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon.
“It feels so special to come back to the TCS London Marathon,” Hassan said to reporters. “This is where I ran my very first marathon and began my journey in this incredible distance. London is also 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.
Tola had his own moment in Paris and won the men’s race in 2:06:26, an Olympic record and is among a small group of runners to won world and Olympic titles at the marathon distance.
He has lined up three times in London, with his best finish was a third place podium place in 2023.
“Winning the Paris Olympic Marathon was the greatest moment of my running career but I don’t want it to be my last great moment,” Tola remarked to reporters. “I want to continue competing for the biggest titles in this sport and the TCS London Marathon is very much one of those. I know that London always brings the best marathon racers in the world together so it will not be easy, but it is my ambition to win this historic race for the first time in April.”
Meanwhile, wheelchair athletes Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug were also announced as part of the field, meaning all four Paris Olympic marathon champions will be racing in London.
Hug continues to stack up accolades and became the first men’s wheelchair athlete to win four straight London Marathons with his win in 2024, just two behind all-time record holder David Weir.
“Honestly, I don’t think too much about records,” Hug said to reporters. “It is, of course, nice to create records but my focus is always on the next race and performing to my best. I love coming to race in London, it’s one of the highlights of my year and I’m already looking forward to returning this year.”
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