Assefa to defend London Marathon title against Hassan, Jepchirchir and Obiri

Tigst Assefa, the defending champion and women-only world record holder, will return to the TCS London Marathon on 26 April where she will face Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and world champion Peres Jepchirchir – both past winners of the World Athletics Platinum Label road race.

The star-studded line-up also includes 2021 London Marathon winner Joyciline Jepkosgei, two-time Boston and New York winner Hellen Obiri and world bronze medallist Julia Paternain. It means all of the podium finishers from the 2025 London Marathon, 2024 Olympic Games and 2025 World Championships will take to the start line in the British capital.

Since 2022, Assefa has chalked up two wins in Berlin, one victory in London, earned world and Olympic silver medals, and set world records of 2:11:53 (mixed) and 2:15:50 (women-only). The Ethiopian has finished in the top two in her past six marathons.

Only two women have beaten Assefa over the marathon distance in the past two years: Hassan and Jepchirchir.

Kenya’s Jepchirchir defeated Assefa at the 2024 London Marathon and then, again, in an even closer finish at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. Hassan, meanwhile, out-kicked Assefa in the closing stages of the marathon at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

Obiri, who earned the bronze medal at the Paris Games, will be making her London Marathon debut, having smashed the New York course record with 2:19:51 at the end of last year. It will be the first time since the 2024 Olympics that Assefa, Hassan, Obiri and Jepchirchir have been together in one race.

“Winning last year’s TCS London Marathon and setting a women-only world record was one of the proudest moments of my career and I want to repeat that again this year,” said Assefa. “To do that, I know I will have to beat great champions like Peres and Sifan. They have been tough competitors for me and we have had some great battles, I hope that this year I can come out on top.”

Hassan won the 2023 London Marathon on her debut at the distance, then went on to win Olympic gold one year later. The versatile Dutch runner also triumphed at the 2023 Chicago Marathon and 2025 Sydney Marathon.

Jepchirchir, meanwhile, has also won the 2022 Boston Marathon, 2021 New York Marathon and the Olympic marathon in 2021.

Jepkosgei, who finished in between Assefa and Hassan in London last year, went on to win the Valencia Marathon last month in a world-leading 2:14:00, beating Jepchirchir in the process.

Julia Paternain made worldwide headlines at last year’s World Championships when she earned bronze – the first medal of any kind won by an athlete from Uruguay.

European 10km record-holder Eilish McColgan, Jess Warner-Judd and Abbie Donnelly lead the British entrants.

“For the past two years, the women-only world record has been broken at the TCS London Marathon and with the calibre of athletes we have coming to London this April, it would be no surprise if the record of 2:15:50 set by Tigst Assefa last year is broken once again,” said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events. “With the full set of medallists from the Paris Olympic Games – Sifan Hassan, Assefa and Hellen Obiri – the reigning world champion, Peres Jepchirchir, and Joyciline Jepkosgei, who was the fastest woman in the world over the marathon distance last year, it promises to be a spectacular race.”

The elite men’s field will be announced on 29 January.

Leading entries

Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:11:53
Sifan Hassan (NED) 2:13:44
Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:14:00
Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) 2:14:43
Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2:17:41
Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 2:17:58
Catherine Reline Amanangole (KEN) 2:20:34
Balemelay Shumet (ETH) 2:21:59
Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 2:22:17
Laura Luengo (ESP) 2:22:31
Rose Harvey (GBR) 2:23:21
Abbie Donnelly (GBR) 2:24:11
Florencia Borelli (ARG) 2:24:18
Eilish McColgan (GBR) 2:24:25
Jessica Warner-Judd (GBR) 2:24:45
Fadouwa Ledhem (FRA) 2:25:50
Marta Galimany (ESP) 2:26:14
Lucy Reid (GBR) 2:26:35
Julia Paternain (URU) 2:27:09
Louise Small (GBR) 2:27:48