London Marathon 2026: Sawe Defends, Kiplimo Lurks and Assefa Hunts History

The TCS London Marathon takes centre stage on Sunday morning as one of the deepest elite fields in the race's history prepares to tackle 26.2 miles through the streets of the British capital. Kenya's Sabastian Sawe returns as defending champion after his stunning 2:02:27 victory last year — the second-fastest time ever recorded on the London course — and has boldly predicted that whoever wins will need to break the course record.

Sawe's main threat comes from Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo, the half-marathon world record holder who finished runner-up on his marathon debut in 2025. Kiplimo's raw speed over shorter distances makes him a dangerous closer, and if the pace is honest through halfway, his finishing kick could prove decisive. The Kenyan-Ugandan rivalry at the front of London's men's race promises fireworks.

In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa is the clear favourite after setting a women's-only world record of 2:15:50 on this course twelve months ago. Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei, the 2021 London winner and last year's runner-up, heads the Kenyan challenge and will be determined to close the gap to Assefa this time around.

The wheelchair races add another layer of drama. Switzerland's Marcel Hug has won the last five men's wheelchair London Marathons and a victory on Sunday would equal David Weir's all-time record. Catherine Debrunner leads the women's wheelchair field as she extends her own remarkable winning streak.

For Kenyan fans, the London Marathon is always an emotional event — the nation's marathon heritage runs deep, and every major city marathon feels like home turf. Follow the action from early Sunday morning on streaming platforms, and check GreenBet's partner bookmakers for outright winner and head-to-head markets on the elite races.