London Marathon 2024: Elite runners, world record bids, GB athletes to watch, celebrities and weather
- Published
Kelvin Kiptum won the London Marathon and Chicago Marathon last year, after winning his debut marathon in Valencia in 2022
TCS London Marathon 2024 |
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Date: Sunday, 21 April Times: 09:05 BST wheelchair races, 09:25 elite women, 10:00 elite men and masses |
Coverage: Live on BBC TV, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app from 08:30 |
Tributes will be paid to 2023 winner Kelvin Kiptum, a world record could be set and famous faces will take to the start line in Sunday's London Marathon.
Kenya's world record holder Kiptum died in a road accident in his home country at the age of 24 in February.
Alongside video and spoken tributes before the start, participants will be invited to join in applause for Kiptum, who won last year's men's race in a course record two hours one minute 25 seconds.
"I don't think the world had started to know him. What we will be doing is celebrating him," race organiser Hugh Brasher told BBC Sport.
Organisers are anticipating a record number of finishers, with more than 50,000 people expected to complete the route from Greenwich Park to The Mall.
Live coverage of the race begins on BBC One, BBC iPlayer and online from 08:30 BST on Sunday.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2024 London Marathon.
Assefa leads elite women targeting world record
The elite women's race will see three of the four fastest women in history go head to head in pursuit of victory - and perhaps a world record.
The women's-only marathon world record of 2:17:01 set in London in 2017 is expected to come under threat, with Ethiopia's world record holder Tigst Assefa leading the charge.
Assefa, who ran 2:11:53 at the Berlin Marathon in September, said she was "sure" she can beat the course record but stated: "I'm here to win."
The 27-year-old will be joined by former record holder Brigid Kosgei, fellow Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir and 2022 London Marathon winner Yalemzerf Yehualaw.
In the men's race, Ethiopian Tamirat Tola will seek to back up his New York City Marathon victory from November and improve on his third-place finish in London last year.
His competition includes compatriot Mosinet Geremew, ranked seventh-fastest in history, Valencia Marathon runner-up Alexander Mutiso Munyao and distance running great Kenenisa Bekele.
GB's Cairess returns after impressive debut
Emile Cairess set a European 10-mile record last year
Emile Cairess returns after running the third-fastest time by a British athlete in history on his London Marathon debut in 2:08:07 last year.
He is joined in the men's race by Scottish record holder Callum Hawkins, 2022 world indoor 3,000m bronze medallist Marc Scott and Mahamed Mahamed, who will aim to follow up his encouraging debut at last year's Valencia Marathon.
Becky Briggs and Alice Wright are the leading Britons in the women's race, while Anya Culling aims to continue her remarkable progress since taking more than four and a half hours to finish her first London Marathon in 2019.
They are joined in the elite race by Rachel Hodgkinson and Helen Gaunt, and debutants Mhairi Maclennan and Lucy Reid.
In the elite wheelchair races, Britain's David Weir lines up in London for a 25th consecutive year. With a new racing chair that has seen him break multiple personal bests, he will seek to dethrone long-time rival and five-time champion Marcel Hug.
After claiming the biggest win of her career at the Boston Marathon, British rising star Eden Rainbow-Cooper comes up against the past four women's wheelchair champions in London: Madison de Rozario, Catherine Debrunner, Manuela Schar and Nikita den Boer.
Sporting stars, celebrities & inspiring stories
Jasmin Paris, who in March became the first woman to complete the gruelling Barkley Marathons endurance race, will be the starter for the elite women's race before Dame Kelly Holmes, winner of double gold at the Athens Olympics 20 years ago, starts the elite men's race.
As always, there will be famous faces out on the course helping to raise money for charities - a total of £63m was raised last year - and among them are comedians Romesh Ranganathan, Rosie Jones, Ivo Graham, Maisie Adams and Joel Dommett.
Golden Globe-winning actor Ruth Wilson and Ted Lasso actor Phil Dunster will both make their marathon debuts, and EastEnders actors Emma Barton and Jamie Borthwick will be running as their characters Honey and Jay.
Other celebrities include McFly drummer Harry Judd, former Doctor Who actor Christopher Eccleston and singer Tom Grennan.
EastEnders stars to run London Marathon in character
Just two weeks after completing his challenge to run the entire length of Africa, Russ Cook, also known as the 'Hardest Geezer', will join a group of young people from The Running Charity.
The Samaritans is the London Marathon charity of the year and its team captain Dave Lock will complete the event for the 25th consecutive year.
He will do so dressed in a large green telephone costume and for the first time is joined by his daughter Isabella as they run in memory of his younger brother Steven.
Facts and stats
A record 578,374 people entered the ballot for a place in the 2024 London Marathon.
There was a record total of more than 48,600 finishers last year and there are 65,725 people registered to run on Sunday, representing 158 nations.
The oldest participant this year is 91-year-old David Picksley, while the youngest is 18-year-old William Hamilton - and 270 runners will celebrate their birthday on marathon day.
What's the weather forecast telling us?
The runners have now done all they can to prepare themselves for Sunday's run. But will the weather be kind to them?
The forecast looks encouraging, with no rain forecast for much of the day and a light breeze, with expected temperatures of 10-12 Celsius.
How to follow London Marathon 2024
Network TV coverage
08:30-14:00: BBC One
14:00-15:00: BBC Two
BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport app and website
08:20-15:00 - elite races
11:30-14:30 - Tower Bridge camera
13:00-18:00 - finish line cameras
BBC Sport website live text
Join us from 08:30-14:30 for live text commentary. You can tell us your reason for running or send a message of support for a friend or family member. Get involved by using #bbcmarathon on X, WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (UK only, standard message rates apply).
Highlights
18:00-19:00: BBC Two