The london marathonone of the six “majors”, celebrates its 42nd edition this Sunday with more than 50,000 runners through the streets of the British capital and with the Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekelethe second fastest athlete in history in the distance, as the main favorite.
Waitwho believes 2h01:41 as the best personal brand in Berlin (Germany), in 2019, he hopes at 40 to win in London although he does not arrive at the event in the best conditions, according to what Jos Hermens, his agent, said this week, who revealed that the Ethiopian was “a little sick” last week.
The victory can be made clear to Bekele after the bajathis very week, from the British Mo Farahto whom an injury to his right hip will prevent him from running a marathon again almost three years later.
In the female category it will not bedue to last minute hamstring injury, the world record holder, the Kenyan Brigid Kosgeiso the victory could be between his compatriot, the current champion Joyciline Jepkosgeiand the Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualawwho posted the fastest female debut ever this year in Hamburg in 2:17:23.
Elite athletes will be part of a list of 50,097 runners (59% men and 41% women) who have a number for this edition. Of all of them, 75% are British and 25% are foreigners, the oldest being the Japanese Koichi Kitabatake, 89 years old, and the youngest the Englishman Alex Horsley, who will turn 18 on the day of the race.
a historical test
The first London marathon was held on March 29, 1981 with just over six thousand runners, driven by Olympic steeplechase medalists Chris Brasher and John Disley, who, after running in New York, decided to organize a similar race in the British capital.
That first edition had two male winners crossing the finish line with the same time of 2h11:48, the American Dick Beardsley and the Norwegian Inge Simonsen, while in the female category the British Joyce Smith won alone, who won with 2h29:57. .
The london marathon will always be linked to the figure of the British runner Paula Radcliffewinner three times, one of them on April 13, 2003, with a world record (2h15:25). That mark was in her possession until 2019, when Kenyan Brigid Kosgei ran in 2:14:04 at the Chicago Marathon.
What it does keep Paula Radcliffe is the London Marathon record holderwhile the Kenyan Eliud Kipchogewith his victory in 2019 with 2h02:37is still the rival to beat.
The only Spaniard who has achieved victory is Soriano Abel Antonwhich he won in 1998 with a time of 2:07:57.
From 1981 to 1987 it was played alternately between the months of April and May and since then, 1988, it was always played in April. This is the third consecutive time that the race has been held in October and, for the moment, the last, since in 2023 it will return to its usual date on April 23.
The london marathon is part of the ‘six majors’the six best marathons in the world, along with Boston, Chicago, New York, Tokyo and Berlin.
The race, with three starting points that converge before five kilometers, runs around the River Thames, has a flat and fast profile and passes through some of the most emblematic points of the city such as Tower Bridge, the London Eye, Big Ben or Buckingham Palace. The finish line is located at The Mall next to Saint James’s Palace.
