Women's and Men's Elite Field Previews of the Paris Marathon

More than 54000 runners are expected to take part in the 47th edition of the Schneider Electric Paris Marathon on Sunday 7 April.

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Former 5000 metres world and Olympic champion Vivian Cheruiyot will face a strong contingent of Ethiopian runners led by Buzunesh Getachew and  Rahma Tusa, Haven Hailu and Etagena Woldu.

Cheruiyot will run her first marathon race since 2019. The 39-year-old Kenyan athlete won the Olympic gold medal in the 5000 metres in Rio de Janeiro 2016, four world titles in the 5000m in Berlin 2009, in the 5000m and 10000m in Daegu 2011, in the 5000m in Beijing 2015 and silver in the 5000m in Osaka 2007. Cheruiyot won her last marathon in London in 2018 where she set her PB clocking 2:18:31. Her most recent marathon dates back to 2019 when she finished fourth in Valencia in 2:18:52. During her marathon career Cheruiyot also won in Frankfurt in 2017 in 2:23:35 and finished second in both London in 2019 in 2:20:14 and New York in 2018 in 2h26’02”. 

Getachew finished fourth in Barcelona in 2:22:38 and won in Frankfurt setting her PB of 2:19:37 in 2023. 

Tusa won three consecutive editions of the Rome Marathon in 2016, 2017 and 2018 and finished first in Houston in her PB of 2:19:33 in 2024 and fourth in Valencia in 2:23:20 in 2021. 

Hailu Haven Desse finished third in Amsterdam in 2:20:19 in 2021 and won in Osaka in 2:21:13 in 2021. 

Woldu improved her PB to 2:20:03 in Valencia in 2022. She also finished second in Valencia in 2:20:16 in 2021 and sixth in 2:26:00 in Paris in 2023. 

The men’s line-up is led by 21-year-old Ethiopian Giselaw Ayana, last year’s Paris Marathon winner in 2:07:15. Ayana is aiming to become the third marathon runner to win two consecutive editions of the Paris Marathon following in the footsteps of Great Britain’s Steve Brace (1989 and 1990) and Kenya’s Paul Lonyangata (2017 and 2018). 

Ayana will go up against two past Paris Marathon winners Elisha Rotich, who won in the French capital setting a course record of 2:04:21 in 2021, and Chalu Deso Gelmisa from Ethiopia, who took the honours in 2022 in 2:05:07. Rotich will return to marathon after a two-year-absence. 

Ayana, Rotich and Deso will be joined by Hillary Kipsambu from Kenya, third in Paris in 2021 in 2:04:44, Brimin Kipkorir, winner in Frankfurt in 2:04:53 in 2023, Titus Kipruto, winner at the Milano Marathon in 2:05:05 in 2022, second in Amsterdam in his PB of 2:04:54 in 2022 and fourth in Tokyo in 2:05:52 in 2023, Ethiopian runners Mekuant Ayenew, winner in Seville in 2020 in his PB of 2:04:46, and Bazenaw Asmare, third in Amsterdam in 2:04:57.

Runners will set off from the Champs-Elysées and pass through some of the most famous monuments of the French capital. 

The course will reach Place de la Concorde, the Opéra, Notre Dame, the Musée d’Orsay, the Tour Eiffel, the Grand Palais and the Hippodrome d’Auteuil.