Jan 29 (Reuters) - Defending London Marathon champion Sabastian Sawe is set to return to the event on April 26 and the Kenyan believes he may need to break the course record to retain his title.
The 29-year-old Sawe leads a stacked field that includes Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, last year's runner-up whose resume includes three successive World Cross Country titles, the half-marathon world record and victory at October's Chicago Marathon.
"The TCS London Marathon course is one of the most beautiful and fastest in the world," Sawe said. "It was my first time running in London last year and it was one of the proudest moments of my life.
"I am sure with the quality of athletes coming to London it will take another fast time to win again, perhaps the type of effort the great Kelvin Kiptum put in when he set the course record in 2023."
The late Kiptum's mark stands at two hours one minute and 25 seconds. The 24-year-old Kiptum and his coach were killed in a traffic accident in February 2024.
Sawe's winning time last year of 2:02:27 was the second fastest time ever on the London Marathon course.
Also expected on the start line in the men's race is Uganda's Joshua Cheptegei, the 2024 Olympic 10,000 metres champion and world record-holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m.
Olympic marathon champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia and his compatriot Yomif Kejelcha — making his marathon debut after a stellar track career that included 10,000m silver at last year's world championships — add further strength to the lineup.
Germany's Amanal Petros, the marathon silver medallist at the 2025 World Championships after missing gold by just 0.03 seconds, will spearhead the European contingent alongside Britain's Emile Cairess.
Thursday's announcement finalises the elite fields, with Switzerland's Marcel Hug headlining the men's wheelchair race as he bids to equal Briton David Weir's all-time record of eight London Marathon victories.
The women's field, unveiled on Wednesday, features reigning champion Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, world champion Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya and Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing)
