Big news for marathon fans! Ruth Chepngetich, the reigning women’s marathon world record holder, will race in the 2025 TCS London Marathon on April 27. She made headlines when she completed the 2024 Chicago Marathon in a stunning time of 2:09:56, becoming the first woman to finish a marathon in under 2:10.
This event is shaping up to be exciting. Alongside Chepngetich, Paris Olympic champions Sifan Hassan and Tamirat Tola are also set to compete in London. Hassan made her marathon debut last year, winning the women’s race at the 2023 Chicago Marathon, while Tola has previously placed third in London.
The rivalry between Chepngetich and Hassan should be thrilling. Hassan’s time of 2:13:44 currently puts her third on the all-time marathon list. Chepngetich and Hassan are two of the best road racers in history, and their competition will be one to watch.
But they won’t be the only stars on the track. Peres Jepchirchir, the defending champion and women’s-only marathon record holder, will join them. She set the world record for the women’s-only category with a time of 2:16:16 during the 2024 London Marathon.
Chepngetich and Jepchirchir faced off at that historic race in 2024. While Jepchirchir took the win, setting the new record, Chepngetich finished ninth. Hassan also has a victory over Chepngetich, beating her by almost two minutes at the 2023 Chicago Marathon.
Chepngetich believes the 2025 race could see another record broken, thanks to the talented field of runners. She expressed confidence in preparing for the event and hinted that the strong competition could push them all to new heights. “The strength of the field may help us support each other,” she said. “Maybe the world record will fall.”