London Marathon 2024: Preview and Complete List of Elite Runners

Thursday, 18 April 2024

The 2024 TCS London Marathon, scheduled for this Sunday, April 17, will showcase exceptionally strong fields in both the women's and men's elite races.

Tigist Assefa, Brigid Kosgei, Peres Jepchirchir, Joyciline Jepkosgei, and Yalemzerf Yehualaw are set to challenge the women-only world record at the upcoming TCS London Marathon scheduled for Sunday, April 21.

Mary Keitany of Kenya currently holds the women-only world record with a time of 2:17:01, set in London in 2017.

The line-up will be led by Tigist Assefa from Ethiopia, who broke the world record with 2:11:53 in Berlin smashing the previous mark held by Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei by nearly one minute.

Assefa will clash against Kosgei, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, Joyciline Jepkosgei and Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who won the London Marathon in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

Kosgei won the Olympic silver medal in Tokyo in 2021 and won two editions of the London Marathon in 2019 in 2:18:20 and in 2020 in 2:18:58 and finished second in 2018 in 2:20:13 and fourth in 2021 in 2:18:40; she also won two consecutive editions of the Chicago Marathon in 2018 in 2:18:35 and in 2019 in the previous world record of 2.14:04.

Jepchirchir claimed wins at World Marathon Majors in New York in 2022 in 2:22:39 and in Boston in 2022 in 2.21:01 and finished third in London in 2023 in 2:18:38. She won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Sapporo 2021 in 2:27:20 beating Kosgei and the world half marathon gold medal setting a women’s only world record of 1:05:16 in Gydnia 2020.

Chepngetich from Kenya won the world title in Doha 2019 and two editions of the Chicago Marathon in 2021 in 2:22:31 and in 2022 setting her PB and the fourth fastest time in history with 2:14:48.

Yalemzerf won her first World Marathon Major race at the 2022 London Marathon in 2:17:26, the third fastest women’s time in the history of this race behind Paula Radcliffe (2:15:25) and Mary Keitany (2:17:01).

Ten runners in the field have run faster than 2:17:30. The line-up features Tigist Ketema, who ran the fastest debut time with 2:16:07 in Dubai last year, Almaz Ayana, Olympic gold medallist in the 10000 metres in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and world champion over this distance in London 2017, Megertu Alemu, second in London in 2:18:37 in 2023, and third in Chicago in a lifetime best of 2:17:09, Sheila Chepkirui from Kenya, second in Berlin in 2023 in 2:17:49.

Tola leads the men’s line-up

Last year’s New York City Marathon winner Tamirat Tola leads the line-up in the men’s race. Tola also won the world gold medal in Eugene 2022 in 2:05:36, finished second at the 2017 World Championships in London and won the Olympic bronze medal in the 10000m in Rio de Janeiro 2016.

Multiple world and Olympic gold medallist Kenenisa Bekele will return to London, where he finished second in 2017 in 2:05:57 and in 2016 in 2:05:57. Bekele claimed his second Berlin Marathon win in 2:01:41 in 2019.

The line-up features Ethiopian runners Mosinet Geremew, two-time world silver medallist in Doha 2019 and Eugene 2022 and second in the London Marathon in 2019 in 2:02:55, Kinde Atanaw, winner in Valencia in 2019 in 2:03:51, Dawit Wolde, third in Valencia 2023 in 2:03:48, and Leul Gebrselase, world bronze medallist in 2019 in Budapest 2023, Seifu Tura, who won in Chicago in 2021 in 2:06:12 and set a PB of 2:04:29 in Milan in 2021.

Another strong contender is Alexander Mutiso Munyao, who finished second at the 2023 Valencia Marathon in 2:03:11 and clocked a PB of 57:59 in the half marathon.

Daniel Do Nascimento from Brazil also boasts a sub-2:05 PB with his South American record of 2:04:51 set in Seoul in 2022.

The fastest British entrants are Emile Cairess and Callum Hawkins. Cairess ran a PB of 2:08:07 in London 2023. Hawkins finished fourth at two editions of the World Championships in London 2017 and Doha 2019. Marc Scott, world indoor bronze medallist in the 3000 metres, will make his debut over the marathon distance.

For a complete list of the men's and women's elite fields, please see below.

Elite women

Tigst ASSEFA (ETH, 2:11:53 WR)
Brigid KOSGEI (KEN, 2:14:04)
Ruth CHEPNGETICH (KEN, 2:14:18)
Tigist KETEMA (ETH, 2:16:07)
Almaz AYANA (ETH, 2:16:22)
Megertu ALEMU (ETH, 2:17:09)
Peres JEPCHIRCHIR (KEN, 2:17:16)
Joyciline JEPKOSGEI (KEN, 2:17:23)
Yalemzerf YEHUALAW (ETH, 2:17:23)
Sheila CHEPKIRUI (KEN, 2:17:29)
Tsige HAILESLASE (ETH, 2:22:10)
Susanna SULLIVAN (USA, 2:24:27)
Manon TRAPP (FRA, 2:25:48)
Becky BRIGGS (GBR, 2:29:04)
Alice WRIGHT (GBR, 2:29:08)
Anya CULLING (GBR, 2:34:45)
Rachel HODGKINSON (GBR, 2:34:46)
Helen GAUNT (GBR, 2:35:38)
Mhairi MACLENNAN (GBR, Debut)
Lucy REID (GBR, Debut)

Elite men

Kenenisa BEKELE (ETH, 2:01:41)
Mosinet GEREMEW (ETH, 2:02:55)
Alexander Mutiso MUNYAO (KEN, 2:03:11)
Tamirat TOLA (ETH, 2:03:39)
Dawit WOLDE (ETH, 2:03:48)
Kinde ATANAW (ETH, 2:03:51)
Leul GEBRESILASE (ETH, 2:04:02)
Geoffrey KAMWOROR (KEN, 2:04:23)
Seifu TURA (ETH, 2:04:29)
Daniel DO NASCIMENTO (BRA, 2:04:51)
Addisu GOBENA (ETH, 2:05:01)
Milkesa MENGESHA (ETH, 2:05:29)
Henok TESFAY (ERI, 2:07:12)
Emile CAIRESS (GBR, 2:08:07)
Callum HAWKINS (GBR, 2:08:14)
Hassan CHAHDI (FRA, 2:08:19)
Mahamed MAHAMED (GBR, 2:08:40)
Brian SHRADER (USA, 2:09:46)
Weynay GHEBRESILASIE (GBR, 2:09:50)
Andrew HEYES (GBR, 2:13:52)
Alexander LEPRETRE (GBR, 2:15:01)
Hiko Tonosa HASO (IRL, 2:15:01)
Norman SHREEVE (GBR, 2:16:17)
Alex MILNE (GBR, 2:16:30)
William MYCROFT (GBR, 2:17:02)
David BISHOP (GBR, 2:17:06)
Adam BOWDEN (GBR, 2:17:18)
Kieran WALKER (GBR, 2:17:30)
Alexander LAWRENCE (GBR, 2:17:41)
Daniel HAMILTON (GBR, 2:17:59)
Dominic JONES (GBR, 2:18:15)
Fraser STEWART (GBR, 2:18:34)
Tom FRITH (GBR, 2:18:35)
James HOAD (GBR, 2:18:38)
Ryan THOMSON (GBR, 2:18:46)
Martin HOARE (IRL, 2:18:57)
Charlie SANDISON (GBR, 2:19:22)
Paulos SURAFEL (GBR, No Time)
Daniel MATEIKO (KEN, No Time)
Jacob ALLEN (GBR, Debut)
Kieran CLEMENTS (GBR, Debut)
Marc SCOTT (GBR, Debut)
Sean TOBIN (IRL, Debut)