| The incredible Sifan Hassan returns to the capital for first time since winning in 2023 Five-time Paralympic gold medallist Catherine Debrunner leads women’s wheelchair field Paris hero Tamirat Tola looking for his first win in London on his fifth attempt Marcel Hug continues to chase history in men’s wheelchair race Sifan Hassan, Tamirat Tola, Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug – the complete set of reigning Olympic and Paralympic marathon champions – will all race in the 2025 TCS London Marathon, it has been confirmed today (Monday 13 January). The four gold medallists from Paris last summer are the first set of incredible names that will be revealed over the coming days as part of the 2025 TCS London Marathon Elite Week announcements. It will be the first time back to the TCS London Marathon for Hassan (NED) since she won in remarkable fashion in 2023 in what was her marathon debut. After falling behind the leaders and seemingly out of contention for victory, Hassan produced a staggering finish on the streets of London to claw her way back to the front and then sprint to victory on The Mall. It proved to be a near-template for her 2024 Paris Olympic Games marathon victory. Having already won bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m on the track, Hassan appeared to be losing contact with the leaders of the Olympic marathon, only to once again find a way to recover and then use her famous finish to win the sprint for gold. Hassan, who won the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in 2023 and is the only woman in the history of athletics to win Olympic gold over 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon, said: “It feels so special to come back to the TCS London Marathon. This is where I ran my very first marathon and began my journey in this incredible distance. London is also where I learned to be patient, to trust myself, and to keep pushing even when it feels impossible. It is a place where I grew, not just as an athlete, but as a person. “The TCS London Marathon means so much – not only to me but to so many people. I see people taking part for charity, for loved ones and even children running, many for the first time, at the TCS Mini London Marathon. This is what makes it so beautiful. I am excited to return, to race alongside the best athletes in the world and to share the course with everyone who is chasing their own dreams.” Debrunner (SUI) has a strong claim to be the most dominant athlete in any sport in the world at the moment. She won an incredible five gold medals at the Paralympic Games in Paris, with wins in the 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m and marathon showcasing her impressive range. She is also the reigning TCS London Marathon champion and holds the course record of 1:38:24 which she set at her first victory in London in 2022. Debrunner said:“The Paris Paralympic Games was an unforgettable experience for me. Winning five gold medals is something that you normally only dream about. But that is in the past now. My focus is on continuing to improve and to compete for victory in the biggest races in the world and that, of course, includes the TCS London Marathon.” Tola (ETH) proved himself to be one of the marathon stars of his generation with his win on the gruelling Paris Olympics course in 2024. It came two years after he was crowned world champion for the marathon in Oregon. Tola also has a TCS New York City Marathon victory on his CV from 2023 but, after four visits to London, his best result to date was third in 2023. Tola said: “Winning the Paris Olympic Marathon was the greatest moment of my running career but I don’t want it to be my last great moment. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles in this sport and the TCS London Marathon is very much one of those. I know that London always brings the best marathon racers in the world together so it will not be easy, but it is my ambition to win this historic race for the first time in April.” In the men’s wheelchair race, Paralympic champion Hug (SUI) continues his quest to become the most decorated athlete in London Marathon history. In 2024 he became the first men’s wheelchair athlete to win four successive London Marathons, and Hug’s tally of victories in the UK capital now stands at six, two behind the all-time record for the event, currently held by Britain’s David Weir. Hug, who is also the London Marathon course record holder, said: “Honestly, I don’t think too much about records. It is, of course, nice to create records but my focus is always on the next race and performing to my best. I love coming to race in London, it’s one of the highlights of my year and I’m already looking forward to returning this year.” Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said: “We are delighted that these four great champions from the fantastic 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be at the TCS London Marathon and we look forward to welcoming them here. “There were so many amazing performances during those Games but, in particular, the world was transfixed by the unique achievements of Sifan Hassan, who became the World Athletics female athlete of the year in 2024, after winning Olympic marathon gold in that compelling race in Paris less than 36 hours after winning bronze in the 10,000m and a bronze in the 5,000m three days prior to that. She ran an extraordinary debut marathon to win in London in 2023 and we can’t wait to see what she does on Sunday 27 April.” The 2025 TCS London Marathon Elite Week announcements will continue throughout this week. The 2025 edition of the event will take place on Sunday 27 April. ENDS |
| Notes to EditorsAbout the TCS London Marathon The 2025 TCS London Marathon will take place on Sunday 27 April 2025. This will be the 45th edition. The London Marathon was first held on 29 March 1981 and the millionth finisher in the history of the event crossed the line in 2016. Since the first London Marathon in 1981, the event has raised more than £1.3 billion for charity. The 2025 TCS London Marathon Official Charity of the Year is Pancreatic Cancer UK. London Marathon Events passes its surplus each year through corporate Gift Aid its parent charity, the London Marathon Foundation (the operating name of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, a registered charity (283813) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England & Wales (01550741), registered office: 190 Great Dover Street, London, SE1 4YB). Since 1981, the London Marathon Foundation has awarded £108.5 million to more than 1,700 projects that inspire activity in London, Essex and across the UK. For more information, visit tcslondonmarathon.com About Sifan Hassan (NED) Born: 1 January 1993 Marathon best: 2:13:44, Chicago 2023 London Marathon record: 2023 – 1st 2:18:33 Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Chicago 2023 – 1st 2:13:44; Tokyo 2024 – 4th 2:18:05 Other major city marathons: N/A Marathons in major championships: Olympics: 2024 – 1st 2:22:55 Notes: A superstar and global medallist on the track, Hassan stepped up to the marathon distance in stunning fashion in 2023 when she won both the TCS London Marathon and Bank of America Chicago Marathon. She elevated her illustrious career to even greater heights in 2024 when she won the Paris Olympic Games marathon in a new Olympic record of 2:22:55. Incredibly, the victory came less than 36 hours after Hassan clinched a bronze medal in the 10,000m final. Earlier in the Games, she also won a bronze medal in the 5,000m, achieving a feat no female athlete had managed previously at the Olympics – winning medals in the 5,000m, 10,000m, and the marathon at the same Games. Hassan is also the only woman in history to win medals at a middle-distance event and both long-distance races at one Games. During the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, she won gold medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m events and a bronze medal in the 1,500m. She was born in Adama, Oromia, Ethiopia, and raised in the countryside of Kersa in the Munesa district of the Arsi Zone of Oromia. She was a recreational runner there. She left Ethiopia as a refugee and arrived in the Netherlands in 2008, aged 15. She began running while undertaking studies to become a nurse. About Tamirat Tola (ETH) Born: 11 August 1991 Marathon best: 2:03:39 Amsterdam 2021 London Marathon record: 2019- 6th 2:06:57, 2020 – 6th 2:06:41, 2023 – 3rd 2:04:59, 2024 – DNF Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Boston: 2018- DNF; New York: 2018- 4th 2:08:30, 2019- 4th 2:09:20, 2023 – 1st 2:04:58 Other major city marathons: Dubai: 2014- 4th 2:06:17, 2017- 1st 2:04:11, 2018- 3rd 2:04:06 Gongju: 2014- 8th 2:12:22; Amsterdam: 2021 – 1st 2:03:39. Marathons in major championships: Worlds: 2017- 2nd 2:09:49, 2022 – 2:05:36, 2023 – DNF; Olympics 2024 – 1st Notes: Tola claimed the biggest win of his career last year (2024) when he proved the strongest over the gruelling Paris Olympic Games marathon course to win a famous gold medal, the highlight of an already star-studded career. After a successful career on the track where the highlight was a bronze medal in the 10,000m at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Tola’s marathon career has got better with experience. After coming so close to gold at the 2017 World Championships in London (when he finished runner-up), Tola finally became the world champion in 2022 when he won the marathon at the Oregon World Championships (2:05:36). It came after he finished third at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon and won the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon in a PB of 2:03:39. Tola has also had success at Abbott World Marathon Majors events, winning the TCS New York City marathon in 2023. His best result in London was third in 2023. About Catherine Debrunner (SUI) Born: 11 April 1995 Marathon best: 1:34:16 – Berlin 2023 (WR) London Marathon record: 2022 – 1st 1:38:24, 2023 – 3rd 1:38:54, 2024 – 1st 1:38:54 Marathons in major championships: Olympics: 2024 – 1st 1:41:50 Abbott World Marathon Majors top results: Berlin 2022 – 1st 1:36:47, 2023 – 1st 1:34:16, 2024 – 1st 1:35:23; Chicago 2023 – 1st 1:38:44, 2024 – 1st 1:36:12; New York 2023 – 1st 1:39:32 Notes: Debrunner cemented herself as the world’s best women’s wheelchair racer at the 2024 Paris Paralympics, where she won an incredible five gold medals in the 400m, 800m, 1,500m, 5,000m and marathon distances. She is also the world record holder over the marathon distance with her time of 1:34:16 set at the BMW Berlin Marathon in 2023. She has won the London Marathon twice on three visits to the British capital and holds the course record of 1:38:24 which she set on her debut in 2022. She has won the BMW Berlin Marathon three times, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon twice and the TCS New York City Marathon once. About Marcel Hug (SUI) Born: 16 January 1986 Marathon best: 1:17:06 – New York 2023 London Marathon record: 2010 – 2nd 1:36:07, 2011 – 11th 1:35:35, 2012 – 2nd 1:32:27, 2013 – 2nd 1:31:29, 2014 – 1st 1:32:41, 2015 – DNF, 2016 – 1st 1:35:19, 2017 – 2nd 1:31:07, 2018 – 2nd 1:31:15, 2019 – 2nd 1:33:42, 2020 – 3rd 1:36:08, 2021 – 1st 1:26:27, 2022 – 1st 1:24:38, 2023 – 1st 1:23:48, 2024 – 1st 1:28:35 Abbott World Marathon Majors top results: 1st – Tokyo (2019, 2022, 2023), 1st – Boston (2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, 2024), 1st – Berlin (2011, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2021,2022, 2023, 2024) 1st – Chicago (2016, 2022, 2023, 2024), 1st – New York (2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, 2022, 2023) Marathons in major championships: Paralympics: 2008 – DNF, 2012 – 2nd 1:30:21, 2016 – 1st 1:26:16, 2020 – 1st 1:24:02, 2024 – 1st 1:27:39; Worlds: 2006 – 4th 1:29:57, 2011 – DNF, 2013 – 1st 1:28:44, 2015 – DNF, 2019 – 2nd 1:33:42 Notes: Reigning London champion and course record holder, Hug is the undisputed number one men’s wheelchair racer in the world. He has won the last four London Marathons, bringing his overall tally of wins in London to six, just two behind the all-time record held by his great rival David Weir. Hug won his third Paralympic marathon in succession last August when he raced to victory in Paris. He was born with spina bifida and grew up on a farm in Pfyn, Thurgau. He started competing aged 10. He is nicknamed the ‘Silver Bullet’ due to his shiny racing helmet. |
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