TCS London Marathon announces spectacular fields as both reigning champions return

This year’s TCS London Marathon elite fields have been announced and both the men’s and women’s races promise incredible showdowns.

Tigst Assefa, the defending champion and women-only world record holder, will face arch-rivals Sifan Hassan and Peres Jepchirchir – the reigning Olympic and World champions respectively.

And the men’s champion is also back as Sabastian Sawe looks to extend his 100% win record from his three marathons to date – and is predicting a course record time such is the calibre of the field.

Women’s Elite Race

Since 2022, Assefa (ETH) has chalked up two wins in Berlin, including setting a then world record time of 2:11:53 in 2023; secured a first title in London last year, setting a women-only world record time of 2:15:50 in the process; and has not finished outside the top two in any of her six marathons.

But the defeats have all come in heartbreaking in fashion and at the hands of two foes: Hassan and Jepchirchir.

Jepchirchir (KEN) defeated Assefa in a tight sprint finish at the 2024 TCS London Marathon and then, again, in an even closer finale at the 2025 World Championships marathon in Tokyo. Hassan, meanwhile, out-kicked Assefa in the closing stages of an epic 2024 Olympic Games marathon in Paris.

Tigst Assefa London Marathon Finish 2025 — Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia celebrates winning the 2025 London Marathon (Photo -TCS London Marathon).

For the first time since that Olympic Games marathon, all three athletes will be on the same start line when the 2026 TCS London Marathon lights up the capital on Sunday 26 April, with Assefa looking to avenge the pain of past defeats and retain her crown.

Assefa told the race’s official website: “Winning last year’s TCS London Marathon and setting a women-only world record was one of the proudest moments of my career and I want to repeat that again this year. To do that I know I will have to beat great champions like Peres and Sifan. They have been tough competitors for me and we have had some great battles, I hope that this year I can come out on top.”

Hassan and Jepchirchir are both past TCS London Marathon champions with Hassan winning in 2023 and Jepchirchir in 2024. Hassan won the 2024 Olympic Games marathon title in dramatic fashion (after already winning two medals on the track at the same Games) and has also triumphed at a further two Abbott World Marathon majors: the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2023 and Sydney Marathon in 2025.

Jepchirchir is now the World champion at both the marathon and half-marathon world distances, with the marathon title she won in Tokyo adding to the half-marathon title she won in Riga in 2023. She has also won the Boston Marathon (2022), TCS New York City Marathon (2021) and was the Olympic marathon champion at Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021).

Joining the leading trio are two Kenyans who will arrive in London in red-hot form: Joyciline Jepkosgei and Hellen Obiri.

Jepkosgei, the 2021 TCS London Marathon champion, ran the fourth-fastest time in history to win the 2025 Valencia Marathon in 2:14:00, after a thrilling duel with Jepchirchir.

Obiri, who is making her TCS London Marathon debut, has two TCS New York City Marathon titles (2023 and 2025) and two Boston Marathon victories to her name (2023 and 2024) since moving up to the marathon distance.

The Kenyan’s most recent New York City Marathon win, last November, saw her take nearly three minutes off the course record, finishing in 2:19:51. Obiri finished third in the Paris Olympic Games marathon, behind Hassan and Assefa, and has two World Championships 5,000m titles to her name on the track.

These international stars add to the strong domestic field, which includes Eilish McColgan, Jess Warner-Judd and Abbie Donnelly.

Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said: “For the past two years, the women-only world record has been broken at the TCS London Marathon and with the calibre of athletes we have coming to London this April, it would be no surprise if the record of 2:15:50 set by Tigst Assefa last year is broken once again.

“With the full set of medallists from the Paris Olympic Games – Sifan Hassan, Assefa and Hellen Obiri – the reigning world champion, Peres Jepchirchir, and Joyciline Jepkosgei, who was the fastest woman in the world over the marathon distance last year, it promises to be a spectacular race.”

Men’s Elite Race

Sawe (KEN) headlines a star-studded men’s field that also includes Jacob Kiplimo (UGA), last year’s runner-up and the newly crowned three-time World Cross-Country champion, who is also the world record holder for the half marathon (56:42) and the reigning Bank of America Chicago Marathon champion.

Sabastian Sawe London Marathon 2025 — Sabastian Sawe of Kenya roars to victory in the 2025 London Marathon (Photo -TCS London Marathon).

Also confirmed are Joshua Cheptegei, the 2024 Olympic Games 10,000m champion and world record holder for both the 5,000m (12:35) and 10,000m (26:11); the 2024 Olympic marathon champion, Tamirat Tola (ETH); and Yomif Kejelcha (ETH), who will be making his marathon debut after a sparkling track career that included a silver medal in the 10,000m at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.

Amos Kipruto (KEN), the 2022 TCS London Marathon champion, and Deresa Geleta (ETH), the ninth-fastest man in history over the marathon (2:02:38), are other stellar names in this year’s line-up.

Germany’s Amanal Petros, who won a silver medal in the 2025 World Championships marathon (missing out on a gold medal in dramatic fashion by just 0:03 seconds), will lead the European charge alongside Britain’s Emile Cairess.

It is the calibre of this field that has led Sawe to predict whoever wins the 2026 TCS London Marathon, on Sunday 26 April, will likely have to break the course record of 2:01:25 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.

Sawe told the official website: “The TCS London Marathon course is one of the most beautiful and fastest courses in the world. It was my first time running in London last year and it was one of the proudest moments of my life to cross the line as champion. I am excited to be coming back in 2026 and I know now a little bit more about what I can expect. I am sure with the quality of athletes coming to London it will take another fast time to win again, perhaps the type of effort the great Kelvin Kiptum put in when he set the course record in 2023.”

Sawe’s winning time from last year of 2:02:27 (which included a blistering 60:57 over the second half of the course) was the second fastest time ever on the TCS London Marathon course, behind only Kiptum.

After his win in London last year, Sawe followed it up with victory at the 2025 BMW Berlin Marathon meaning he still has not lost a marathon in three races (Valencia 2023, London 2025 and Berlin 2025).

London Marathon Events CEO Brasher added: “Sabastian Sawe showed the world at last year’s TCS London Marathon that he is a man that could re-write the marathon record books so we are delighted to welcome him back for this year’s event. To run 2:02:27 with a negative split of 60:57 for the second half of the race showed the huge potential he has and we are looking forward to supporting Sabastian run as fast as possible in London on Sunday 26 April.