2025 London Marathon Preview: Athletes, Matchups & Storylines to Watch

By Preet Majithia

The London Marathon takes place in a city filled with history and iconic landmarks, and the spectacle of the runners crossing Tower Bridge or charging down the finish line on The Mall in front of Buckingham Palace is unmatched. The 2025 event is aiming to take the crown of the marathon with the most ever finishers, with around 56,000 finishers expected in this 45th edition. The crowds in London are always great with around 750,000 spectators typically expected to line the streets to support the runners.

How To Watch

Handy Links: Live Results | London Marathon Tracking App

The London Marathon will be contested on Sunday, April 23rd, with the elite races starting at 4:05 AM EST. For American fans, it will be streamed live on FloTrack (subscription required) starting at 3:30 AM EST. For British fans, it will also be broadcasted on the BBC Live coverage from 08:30-14:00 BST on BBC One and will continue on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer from 14:00-15:00 BST.

The Course And The Weather

The London Marathon course, although not as flat as the likes of Valencia or Chicago, is still relatively flat, with the only significant elevation change being a 100ft downhill around the third mile. The point-to-point course has multiple sharp turns and there are some parts which can be impacted by wind tunnels created by the tall buildings, particularly in Canary Wharf between miles 15-20.

Temperature-wise, the forecast predicts high 50s to low 60s Fahrenheit during the elite races, which in London should feel relatively comfortable for racing, although it is likely to get warmer as the day progresses for the mass race.

Men’s Race Preview

The 2024 men’s race was a rather strange one, with five out of the ten men in the lead group at the halfway point DNFing mysteriously in the closing miles, including the likes of Tamirat Tola and Daniel Mateiko, with Alexander Mutiso Munyao taking the win in 2:04:01 and Kenenisa Bekele taking second place, whilst Brits Emile Cairess and Mahamed Mahamed took advantage of the carnage to take third and fourth, respectively.

The men’s race in London is intriguing due to the presence of not one, not two, but three Olympic gold medallists in 2024 champion Tamirat Tola (ETH), 2016 and 2020 champion Eliud Kipchoge (KEN), and 2024 Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee (GBR). In addition the field brings together four of the seven Marathon Major winners from 2024 in London champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao (KEN), Berlin winner Milkesa Mengesha (ETH), and New York champion Abdi Nageeye (NED) alongside Tola, as well as the winner of the unofficial extra major that is Valencia in Sabastian Sawe (KEN). 

Defending Champion

Last year’s champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao comes in with a 2:03:11 personal best from a second place finish in Valencia in December 2023, which he backed up with his 2:04:01 victory on the streets of London last year. At the Olympics, however, he didn’t have a great day and ended up in 21st place. A 59:16 half marathon in February means he has shown some recent signs of form but it remains to be seen if he can recapture the magic of early last year.

Olympic Champion

Tamirat Tola seems to alternate between very good and very bad marathons – from a DNF in Budapest at the World Championships, to victory in New York in 2023, followed by a DNF in London last year and gold at the Olympics. His most recent effort was something of an exception, as he took fourth in New York last fall – not a great day, but not a bad race per se. If he follows the alternating pattern, now is the time for another good day, and if that is the Tola that shows up, he could be regarded as favorite for the win. One note of caution is that his PBs over the marathon and half are ‘only’ 2:03:39 and 59:37, so with five people in the field faster than him, if it becomes a truly quick race from the gun, this may test his toolbox. When asked about the potential for a fast race, he said his body was feeling prepared for a hot early tempo.

Half Marathon World Record Holder

The biggest wildcard coming into this race is Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, fresh off his 56:42 half marathon world record in Barcelona in February, that looked positively easy for him. As we have seen from the travails of his compatriot Joshua Cheptegei, it’s not always straightforward to translate track success to the full marathon, but if anyone has the toolkit to make that transition successfully, it’s Kiplimo – particularly with the unprecedented ceiling he has shown over the half marathon. If it’s a fast day, then he would seem among the most likely to pull out a mind boggling performance, and perhaps look to challenge either Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:01:53 debut record or 2:01:25 course record. He was confident in his pre-race interview and is confident he can one day get the world record and with the promise he is showing at the age of 24, we don’t doubt him.

New York Champion

Abdi Nageeye finally had a breakout victory in New York in the fall having come close so many times before during his 30+ marathon career, so he’ll come into London with a great deal of confidence looking to back up that win. The big knock on Nageeye is that his personal best is only 2:04:45. He shared in his post New York interview about his ambitions to lower his best time, but there may be a question of whether he will be able to hang with the pace if the leaders send it fully from the start. In the era of ever improving shoes, however, people running breakout times even late in their careers is no longer a surprise.

Berlin Champion

Milkesa Mengesha won the Berlin Marathon in 2:03:17 in October, but was a DNF in London last year. He’s playing his cards close to his chest so far in 2025, with his only result being a 61:27 victory in the half in Hong Kong in January (so not really displaying that Berlin form just yet), but that one-off performance may not be truly indicative of where he is at.

Valencia Champion

Sabastian Sawe (KEN) won his debut marathon in Valencia in 2:02:05 in December, coming off a pretty good half marathon career that included a gold medal in the distance at the inaugural World Road Running Championships in 2023. Although he’s new to the distance, Sawe is one of those guys that clearly knows how to win: he won 7 of 9 races in 2024, his only blemishes being a seventh-place finish at World XC and a runner-up finish behind 12:46 man Nicholas Kipkorir in a road 10km. Sawe also beat Kiplimo for the win in the half marathon in Copenhagen last September in the race that famously also featured Jakob Ingebrigtsen, so has shown he can beat Kiplimo on the roads. He came across as confident in his pre-race interview and said a 60 flat first half would be no problem for him.

The G.O.A.T.

The marathon G.O.A.T. Eliud Kipchoge is also lining up, and while 2024 was a year to forget, lest we forget he is only 18 months removed from running 2:02 for the win in Berlin. Although his performances in 2024 suggest that Father Time has finally caught up with him given the tenth place in Tokyo and the DNF at the Olympics, with a healthy training block and on a flat fast course we can always hope that we get glimpses of the old Kipchoge one more time. At this point, simply a top 5 finish could be regarded as a good day, but regardless we know that people will be watching with interest. Additionally, Kipchoge’s decision to sign up for the Sydney Marathon in August in its debut as a marathon major could be interpreted one of two ways: either as a bit of a farewell tour, or a sign that he’s choosing a (slightly) longer off-ramp than an immediate post-marathon retirement. Unfortunately, the secondary storyline we were hoping for - one last matchup against his great rival Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) - will also have to wait, with Bekele withdrawing less than a week out from the big day. Kipchoge wouldn’t be drawn on what he felt a successful day would be but said his training was healthy and hasn’t changed, and sounded positive in his pre-race comments.

The British Contenders

The British field has suffered a couple of unfortunate withdrawals with the loss of Olympic fourth placer Emile Cairess and Marc Scott (formerly of Bowerman Track Club). However the Brits still have two fast runners heading to the start line in Phil Sesemann (2:08:02) and Mahamed Mahamed (2:07:05), who have both been on an upward trajectory over the last couple of years and could well be looking to crack into the 2:05/2:06 range and pick up the 2025 World standard. Alex Yee as a triathlete has proven himself one of the best endurance athletes in the world, and boasts a 10k personal best of 27:51. It’s definitely worth checking out his excellent Youtube series on his marathon build up, with this first episode also featuring Citius Mag Marathon Relay team member Mark Coogan. He’s not necessarily expected to feature with the leaders, but anything sub-2:10 would likely be a very good day for Yee who is a genuine superstar in the UK and will be getting huge support from the crowd as he makes his way round.

Other Contenders

Timothy Kiplagat would be a headliner in pretty much any other race with a flashy 2:02:55 personal best which he ran for second place in Tokyo in 2024, but in a field this deep he’s easy to miss. His most recent result is a 61:06 half marathon in China so it is hard to tell his form coming in.

The field is rounded out by a clutch of fast Europeans and Australians, with the likes of Germany’s Amanal Petros (2:04:58), Norway’s Sondre Moen (2:05:48),  and Italy’s Yemaneberhan Crippa (2:06:06), and Aussie Andy Buchanan (2:06:22) the pick of the bunch, who will be looking to try and break into that top tier and on a good day shoot for a spot in the top five.

Women’s Race Preview

The women’s elite field is much smaller than the men’s, with only 15 women lining up. Originally the field was expected to include the three fastest women in history, plus the defending London champion and women’s-only world record holder Peres Jepchirchir.  But Jepchirchir has now withdrawn citing an ankle injury, and Ruth Chep’ngetich, owner of the mind boggling 2:09:56 world record, has also withdrawn with the following somewhat mysterious statement: “I’m not in the right place mentally or physically to race my best in London and I am therefore withdrawing. I am very sad to miss the race and I hope to be back next year.” Chep’ngetich has battled health problems, contracting a case of malaria after her record-setting run, so it’s possible that remains a factor.

But because London is never short of fast runners, this still means we have the second and third fastest women in history, who also happen to be the Olympic gold and silver medallists in Sifan Hassan (NED) and Tigst Assefa (ETH), to duke it out for the crown.

The Olympic Champion

Whenever Sifan Hassan arrives on a startline, entertainment is almost guaranteed. Whether it is an audacious triple bill of racing or drama in the closing stages of a race, she is probably the world’s most compelling runner to watch. On her last visit to London in 2023, she ran her debut marathon, which had a bit of everything, including a stop at halfway to stretch, nearly getting bowled over by a motorcycle while chasing a water bottle, and a blazing kick down The Mall in the final metres for the win. She combined this with one of the most iconic post race interviews ever. If this year’s race is even half as entertaining, we are in for a treat.

Since then, Hassan has run what is now the third-fastest time in history with 2:13:44 for victory in Chicago and won the Olympic gold medal in the marathon shortly after taking bronze medals in both the 5000m and the 10,000m. There is no doubt she is the favorite for the win, but last year she was also fourth in the Tokyo Marathon so she certainly isn’t guaranteed to hit a home run every time.

The Former World Record Holder

Kicking with her in the final mile of that Olympic race was Tigst Assefa, who lines up here as Hassan’s main competition in an Olympic rematch and holds a personal best of 2:11:53, making her the second fastest runner in history and former world record holder. Olympic viewers will recall as well that there was a clash of elbows in the final meters of Paris that makes this rematch all the more spicy. Assefa has not been a frequent racer over the last couple of years, with only the one official result to her name in 2023 - the 2:11:53 in Berlin, and two in 2024, the second places at London and the Olympics. However this just adds to the mystery of how she will fare in different types of race, albeit her consistency over her last few marathons means she is almost certain to be fighting for the win.

Other Top Contenders

Jocyline Jepkosgei took third in London in 2024 in a personal best of 2:16:24 and backed it up with a fifth place in Chicago in the fall. She hasn’t quite reached the heights of her wins in New York in 2019 and London in 2021 in recent years, but she is a consistent performer at the majors, and comes to London off the back of a 64:13 half marathon in Barcelona two months ago, which is the eighth fastest performance in history, so she comes into this race in stellar form and will be looking to upset upset the two favourites.

Megertu Alemu came in just behind Jepkosgei in a fourth place finish of 2:16:34 in this race last year, also a personal best, and backed that up with the win in Valencia in December in 2:16:49 so is also expected to be a potential threat for the win.

One intriguing entry is Vivian Cheriuyot, who took a somewhat surprise third place in New York in the fall. Her personal best of 2:18:31 dates back to 2018 when she won in London, and given how quickly these athletes are likely to be running, it remains to be seen if the 41-year-old can still contend for the podium on a faster course.

British Contenders

On the British side, the leading entry is debutante Eilish McColgan, who was set to debut in London in 2023 in dazzling form off a 30:00 10,000m on the track, as well as a 65:43 half marathon. Unfortunately, she had to withdraw last year and has struggled with injuries on and off ever since. She is now back and ran 31:03 in a road 10km as well as a 68:58 half marathon in Dubai earlier in 2025. Previously, McColgan might have been looking for a sub-2:20 and to looking to contend with some of the top Kenyans and Ethiopians, but her focus this time has been on getting to the start line healthy and the more modest target of going after the family record of her mum, 1991 10,000m world champion Liz McColgan, which stands at 2:26:54. Nevertheless, the talent and the potential means that this race could be an exciting first step in her marathon career, and the hope would be she could get closer to 2:23. Other British hopes rest with Charlotte Purdue (2:22:17) and Rose Harvey (2:23:21).

The American

Just as Calli Hauger-Thackery as the lone Brit in Boston beat all the Americans, Susanna Sullivan (USA) will be looking to turn the tables and beat all the Brits on their home turf. Sullivan is also a full-time teacher and shares a sponsor with the London Marathon, as Tata Consultancy Services prioritizes education as one of its philanthropic endeavors, so this perhaps explains why she chose to return to London, where she finished tenth in 2023.Fresh off her personal best and placing as top American in Chicago, running 2:21:56, she has run a series of excellent shorter races this spring and will be looking to lower that personal best.

TRACK ACTION THIS WEEKEND…

Xiamen Diamond League

This weekend will see “opening day” of the 2025 Diamond League. This league now rivals Grand Slam Track for the claim of “the best of the best” in track and field. They’ll have a good argument for it, given the vast number of world record holders and global champions who are entered in this meet.

Handy Links: Entries and Live Results

How to watch: This meet will be contested on Saturday, April 26th. It will be streamed on FloTrack, which will start at 5:20 AM EST.

Penn Relays

Handy Links: Meet Schedule and Entries and Live Results

How to watch: This meet will be contested from Thursday-Saturday, April 24-26th. It will be streamed on FloTrack. Livestream will start at 9:00 AM EST on Thursday and Friday, and at 7:00 AM EST on Saturday. CBS Sports Network will also cover the meet on Saturday from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST.

Drake Relays

Handy Links: Meet Schedule | Live Results and Entries

How to watch: This meet will be contested from Wednesday-Saturday, April 23-26th. It will be streamed on RunnerSpace and CBS. Coverage begins at 8:35 AM EST on Friday, and 8:00 AM EST Saturday. CBS Sports Network will exclusively cover the meet from 2:00 PM-4:00 PM EST.

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