Jepchirchir out to defend London Marathon title

Former world half marathon record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei headlines a star-studded women's field at this year's London Marathon slated for Sunday 2 October. 

The 2019 New York City Marathon champion will be out to defend the title she won last year in 2:17:43, her second victory in a marathon major after New York. 

While she has barely competed this year, featuring in just one race in the classic distance at the Boston Marathon in April where she placed a distant seventh, she faces a field has been active and poses a huge threat. 

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Seven women in the field have Personal Bests (PB's) faster than 2:19, eight under 2:20, while three of those have bettered 2:17.

Top of the list to provide formidable opposition to Jepkosgei is Ethiopian world 10km record-holder Yalemzerf Yehualaw who heads to the British capital undefeated in all four of her road races this year. 

She made her marathon debut in April, winning in Hamburg with 2:17:23, the fastest marathon debut in history. Earlier in the year she had set a world 10km record of 29:14, while more recently she warmed up for London with a 1:04:22 victory at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in late August.

Yehualaw and Jepkosgei have clashed just once before, at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, where Yehualaw finished three places ahead of the Kenyan. 

Ashete Bekere is the third woman in the field with a sub-2:18 PB. The 2019 Berlin winner placed second in Tokyo earlier this year in 2:17:58. Having finished fourth in London in 2020 and third in 2021, she will be aiming to continue that trajectory with a top-two finish on Sunday.

Former half marathon specialist Joan Chelimo finally got to grips with the marathon earlier this year, setting a Romanian record of 2:18:04 to win in Seoul. She placed seventh in London last year, but is an improved runner since then.

Sutume Kebede finished a close second to Melly in Seoul, clocking a PB of 2:18:12. The 27-year-old Ethiopian has contested nine marathons to date, winning one of them (Beijing in 2019), but this will be her first in London.

Kenya’s Judith Korir was a late addition to the field but is still one to watch. Earlier this year she won in Paris with a course record of 2:19:48, then improved on that mark to take silver at the World Championships in Eugene, clocking a PB of 2:18:20. She has finished in the top two of all seven of her marathons to date, winning five of them.

Ethiopia’s Alemu Megertu and Hiwot Gebrekidan, who have set respective PBs this year of 2:18:51 and 2:19:10 add even further depth to the high quality field.

Mary Ngugi’s PB may not be as fast as some of her rivals, but this will be her first run on one of the faster big city courses. Two successive third-place finishes in Boston underlines the Kenyan’s pedigree.

Others in the field include Britain’s Charlotte Purdue and Japanese duo Reia Iwade and Ai Hosoda.

Additional information by World Athletics