Men's race podium finishers (L-R), third place, Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola, winner, Kenya's Kelvin Kiptum and runner-up Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor pose with their trophies at the presentation ceremony for the 2023 London Marathon in central London on April 23, 2023.
What a tantalizing prospect. Sebastain Sawe versus Jacob Kiplimo, and the rest of the best.
That is what the London Marathon elite men’s race, set for April 26 in the British capital, is offering.
The lineup, released on Thursday, has Sawe, the fastest man on the field and defending champion with a personal best time of 2:02:05, Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the half-marathon world record holder, and reigning Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia, who owns a best time of 2:03:39
Incidentally, it is Sawe, in a fast-winning time of 2:03:27, who beat the rising Ugandan to second place, in 2:02:37, in last year’s London Marathon.
Also, in the mix are Amos Kipruto (personal best 2:03:13), who is Sawe’s training mate in Kapsabet, Amanal Petros (2:04:03) of Germany, and the man of all surfaces Geoffrey Kamworor (2:04:23) to round out the seven fastest marathoners in the London field.
Kenya's Sabastian Sawe celebrates on the podium with his trophy after winning the men's London Marathon on April 27, 2025.
Given the London course is known to be fast, Sawe would certainly be looking to chase records.
The course record stands at 2:01:25 set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
Sawe won the Berlin Marathon on September 21 while attempting to break the world record of 2:00:35 set by Kiptum on October 8, 2023, but a change in weather put pain to his ambitions.
“I believe the world record time is still achievable because the late Kelvin Kiptum showed us the other side of the marathon and it can happen with the right conditions,” Sawe told Nation Sport in an earlier interview.
He ended up clocking 2:02:16, a blistering fast time in marathon by any measure, but still short of the level the late Kiptum set.
Kamworor, no stranger to London, said he expects very fast times.
Kamworor, who trains in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County, said yesterday that he is excited to head back to the London Marathon where he has good memories.
"That is where I ran my personal best and finished second behind the late Kelvin Kiptum. This field gives the real meaning of competition. Look at the names and the personal bests. It will be fast.”
Indeed.
Sawe, who will be competing in his fourth career marathon race, has never run outside a sub 2:03.
The 2Running Athletics Club man made his debut in the distance at the 2024 Valencia Marathon, winning in a world lead time of 2:02:05, which remains his personal best time.
He would then line up for the London Marathon race in April last year, triumphing in 2:02:27 before his Berlin sojourn five months later. Despite the failed world record attempt, his time was the fastest run that season and the fourth fastest in Berlin.
Kiplimo, the half marathon world record holder of 56:42, has also had a phenomenal outing over the full distance.
He made his debut at last year’s London Marathon before recording his first victory in October, as he relegated Kipruto to a distant second, at the Chicago Marathon in a personal best time that also ranked as the seventh fastest time in history.
Kenya's Geoffrey Kamworor celebrates after winning the Grand Prix de Berne 10 miles race in Switzerland on May 11, 2019.
The race in London this year may be too close to call.
2026 London Marathon men’s elite field
Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 2:02:05
Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 2:02:23
Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:02:38
Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:03:13
Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2:03:39
Amanal Petros (GER) 2:04:03
Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:04:23
Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 2:04:52
Shunya Kikuchi (JPN) 2:06:06
Emile Cairess (GBR) 2:06:46
Mahamed Mahamed (GBR) 2:07:05
Philip Sesemann (GBR) 2:07:10
Hassan Chahdi (FRA) 2:07:30
Adam Lipschitz (RSA) 2:08:54
Patrick Dever (GBR) 2:08:58
Peter Lynch (IRL) 2:09:36
Tim Vincent (AUS) 2:09:40
Weynay Ghebresilasie (GBR) 2:09:50
Tewelde Menges (GBR) 2:09:58
George James (GBR) 2:10:10
Liam Boudin (AUS) 2:10:28
Jake Smith (GBR) 2:11:00
Marc Scott (GBR) 2:11:19
Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) debut
Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) debut
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