Top Storylines of the London Marathon: Sawe vs. Kiplimo, Assefa, Obiri & Potential a World Record?
The Running Story | Marathon Handbook NewsShow Notes
Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth sit down for their full elite preview of the 2026 London Marathon, breaking down the top five storylines ahead of Sunday's race. Sebastian Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo headline a men's field that Sawe himself says will require a course record to win: 2:01:25, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2024. Kiplimo arrives fresh off a ratified 57:20 half marathon world record in Lisbon and a World Cross Country title in January. Sawe is expected to debut the Adidas Adios Pro Evo 3, setting up a head-to-head super shoe war against Kiplimo's Nike Alphafly 4. The women's race took a hit when two major names withdrew, but Tigst Assefa (defending champion and women's-only world record holder) and Helen Obiri make it a showdown worth tuning in for: Obiri finally gets her shot at a flat, fast course after a career built on the hills of Boston, New York, and Paris. In the men's field behind the big two: three former track stars: Yomif Kejelcha, Hagos Gebrhiwet, and Joshua Cheptegei: try to translate their 5K/10K brilliance into 26.2. Cheptegei is still looking to crack the marathon; Kejelcha and Gebrhiwet are both making their debuts. The British field takes a hit with Emile Cairess withdrawing injured, leaving Mohamed Mohamed, Phil Sesemann, and Patrick Dever to chase Mo Farah's national record of 2:05:11. On the women's side, Eilish McColgan enters with a healthy buildup and a European 10K record (30:07 in Valencia) to her name.
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It's Chicago Marathon week! Michael Doyle and Jessy Carveth go through the week's top running news. Join our Chicago Shakeout Run on 10th Oct: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/2002027257420 Tickets for our live show, MILE ZERO presented by Zappos: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marathon-handbook-live-mile-zero-presented-by-zappos-chicago-2026-tickets-2001880670976 TORONTO MILE ZERO LIVE SHOW, 17th Oct: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/marathon-handbook-live-mile-zero-toronto-2026-tickets-2002512056467 Join Marathon Handbook's RunClub for access to our members-only podcast, training plans, community rooms, merch and more: https://marathonhandbook.com/runclub Shop Marathon Handbook Merch: https://store.marathonhandbook.com Send us a question: https://marathonhandbook.com/podcast/ Join our newsletter: https://marathonhandbook.com/newsletter/
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