NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 12 – Eliud Kipchoge has not been listed for the London Marathon, scheduled for October 3 as organizers on Thursday afternoon released the list of the men and women’s elite fields.
Upon returning from Tokyo where he successfully defended his Olympic title, Kipchoge told Capital Sport that he would be taking a month’s rest before revealing his next race.
That would essentially mean the earliest he would be returning from training would be mid-September, leaving him with less than a month to train, insufficient time to be ready for the massive race.
But, Brigid Kosgei who also raced in the punishing heat in Sapporo to secure silver has been confirmed in the women’s race and will look to defend her crown, eyeing an unprecedented three-
The world record holder will be challenged by a star-studded list of women including reigning New York City Marathon champion Joyciline Jepkosgei and six other women who have run under two hours and 20 minutes.
“It is a great feeling to be coming back, as London is one of my favourite marathons. Last year’s win was very special, particularly given what the whole world was going through – it was fantastic just to have the London Marathon organised and even more so to be the winner. I hope to arrive again in very good shape and win for the third time,” said Kosgei.
Brigid Kosgei lunges forward to win the 2020 London Marathon title. PHOTO/London Marathon/Twitter
Compatriot Jepkosgei will look to upset the balances and comes into the race with confidence having set a new personal best of 2:18:40 last December at the Valencia Marathon, where she finished second to new Olympic champion Peres Chepchirchir.
Also in the elite women’s field are Ethiopians Roza Dereje, whose PB of 2:18:30 makes her the tenth-fastest female marathoner of all time, and Birhane Dibaba (PB 2:18:35), who won the Tokyo Marathon in 2018 and 2015 and finished second in the same race on three other occasions (2020, 2017 and 2014).
The other women to have run inside 2:20 are Valary Jemeli (2:19:10), Zeineba Yimer (2:19:28) and Tigist Girma (2:19:50).
Meanwhile, Ethiopian Shura Kitata will look to defend his crown and will have lots of energy in the bag after pulling out of the Olympics after less than 10km.
He will face off with Vincent Kipchumba again, the lanky Kenyan having battled him only to finish second in last year’s race.
Also on the Start Line will be Kenya’s Evans Chebet, the current Valencia Marathon champion and fastest man in the world last year with his time of 2:03:00.
Ethiopians Mosinet Geremew (PB 2:02:55) and Mule Wasihun (PB 2:03:16), who both finished on the podium at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon, also return.
Shura Kitata outsprinted Vincent Kipchumba with Sisay Lemma third in the London Marathon
Kitata said: “I was disappointed to have to pull out of the Olympic Games marathon but I just did not adapt to the weather well. It was very cold in Ethiopia prior to leaving for Tokyo and when we got there the weather took its toll on my body and made my breathing very hard. But I’m healthy and looking forward to racing in the London Marathon again.”
The London Marathon returns to its traditional and iconic course from Blackheath to The Mall after last year’s elite-only race on a multiple closed-loop circuit around St James’s Park.
Up to 50,000 runners are expected in the mass race and up to 50,000 around the world will take on the virtual event, completing the 26.2 miles on the route of their choice.
