The 2026 London Marathon is shaping up to be one of the most competitive editions in history, with reigning champion Tigst Assefa set to renew her fierce rivalry against Olympic gold medallist Sifan Hassan and world champion Peres Jepchirchir.
Scheduled for Sunday, April 26, the women’s race will feature four of the six fastest marathon runners of all time, underlining the magnitude of what promises to be a blockbuster showdown on the streets of London. Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei has also confirmed her participation, further deepening an already elite field.
Assefa arrives in London as the defending champion after producing a historic performance in 2025, where she clocked 2:15:50 to set a women-only world record, achieved without male pacemakers. The Ethiopian star described that triumph as one of the defining moments of her career and is determined to replicate the feat.
“Winning last year’s London Marathon and setting a women-only world record was one of the proudest moments of my career,” Assefa said.
“To do that again, I know I must beat great champions like Peres and Sifan. We have had some great battles, and I hope this time I come out on top.”
Despite her London dominance, Assefa has endured narrow heartbreaks on the global stage, finishing second in dramatic sprint finishes against both Hassan and Jepchirchir at the last two major championships. Both rivals are former London Marathon winners and bring a wealth of experience and tactical nous to the race.
Assefa remains the second-fastest female marathon runner in history, following her blistering 2:11:53 run in Berlin in 2023. Only Ruth Chepngetich’s controversial 2:09:56 world record from Chicago in 2024 stands ahead of her, although Chepngetich is currently serving a three-year ban after admitting to anti-doping rule violations. Performances recorded before her positive test remain officially recognised.
The rapid evolution of women’s marathon running has been striking. Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing world record of 2:15:25 stood untouched for over 15 years, but since 2019, eight women have broken that barrier, including Assefa, Hassan (2:13:44), Jepkosgei (2:14:00) and Jepchirchir (2:14:43).
Also confirmed for the elite women’s field is Uruguay’s Julia Paternain, who was raised in the UK and captured global attention last year with her emotional reaction after unexpectedly securing a bronze medal on the world stage.
Race organisers have also unveiled strong British representation, with Emile Cairess and Eilish McColgan headlining the elite home entries.
Meanwhile, the elite wheelchair races will offer their own narrative, as British legend David Weir attempts to prevent Switzerland’s Marcel Hug from equalling his record eight London Marathon victories.