Kenenisa Bekele has withdrawn from the 2025 London Marathon.
The Ethiopian great, who was runner-up in London last year, has been suffering with niggling injuries that have interrupted his training ahead of Sunday’s TCS London Marathon 27, April.
“I am very disappointed. “I am very much looking forward to returning to the TCS London Marathon on Sunday, especially after how well I ran there last year,” said Bekele.
“However, a series of small niggles have prevented me from getting into the training block I require to be at my best and I have had to make the difficult decision to withdraw. I wish everyone who is running the TCS London Marathon on Sunday the very best of luck.”
Bekele is the third-fastest man in history over the marathon distance and a 17-time World Champion on the track and cross-country.
Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao won the men’s race in two hours, four minutes and one second last year, with compatriot Peres Jepchirchir victorious in a women’s-only world record of 2:16:16.
Bekele’s fiercest rival, Eliud Kipchoge, who became the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours in 2019 and is widely regarded as the greatest distance runner in history, returns to the London Marathon for the first time since 2020.
The record four-time winner is joined in the elite men’s race by defending champion Munyao and Ethiopia’s Olympic champion Tamirat Tola.
Half marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo makes his debut after becoming the first person to run a half marathon in under 57 minutes in February.
World record holder Ruth Chepngetich and 2024 winner Jepchirchir have withdrawn from this year’s elite women’s race.
But a star-studded line-up still features two of the three fastest women in history in Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and Paris 2024 silver medallist Tigst Assefa.
The race winners will receive £41,000, while a £112,000 bonus will be paid to any man running under 2:02:00 or woman under 2:15:00.
