Five Runners to Watch at the London Marathon

Written by: Shannon Polk, Kudos Team Contributor

We’re setting our alarm for 2:55 a.m. tomorrow morning. Why? Because the London Marathon, part of the World Marathon Majors, kicks off tomorrow at 8:55 a.m. local time. Just like the Boston Marathon, this race is bound to be exciting and inspiring, though our friends across the pond are expected to have better weather—60 degrees Fahrenheit and sunny. This is a bit warm for marathon distance, but we’d take it over April showers any day. 

So if you’re an early riser or if you find yourself out late this Saturday evening, consider making it an all-nighter and watch these five runners give it their all:

London Marathon Finisher

1) Eliud Kipchoge, perhaps the greatest marathon runner ever, is ready to add another gold medal to his collection. He has an incredible resume, having won nine of his last 10 marathons in addition to finishing a marathon in 2:00:25 as part of the Nike Sub2 project—this did not count as an official world record due to the help of pacemakers, but it’s still an outstanding accomplishment. 

2) Kenenisa Bekele also brings experience to the table as the world record holder in the 5,000 meters and 10,000 meters. In the 2016 Berlin Marathon, he clocked in the second-fastest marathon of all time in 2:03:03—a personal best on a day Kenenisa claims he was only at 80%. 

3) Mo Farah, who won the 10,000 meters at the World Championships in London last year, makes racing look easy with smooth steps and a constant calmness. We expect Mo to finish in front of his eighth-place finish in the London Marathon four years ago. Given this is only his second marathon, he may not take home a win, but we know he will give an impressive showing. 

4) Mary Keitany finished last year’s London Marathon in 2:17:01, the world record for a women-only event. She had a female pacemaker for the first half of that race, and tomorrow she will have a male pacemaker pushing her to set another world record. 

5) Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to complete the Boston Marathon in 1967, is making her London Marathon debut tomorrow. At 71 years old, she continues to motivate others through running. Keep an eye out for bib number 261—the same number Switzer wore in the 1967 Boston Marathon.