The great Kenenisa Bekele has been added to the field for the 2025 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 27 April where he will renew his legendary rivalry with Eliud Kipchoge.
Bekele, the third-fastest man in history over the marathon distance and a 17-time World Champion on the track and cross-country, will join an elite field at the 2025 TCS London Marathon which was already the greatest in the event’s history.
The 42-year-old Ethiopian, who so nearly achieved one of the most famous comeback stories in the history of the sport at the 2024 TCS London Marathon when he finished runner-up, joins a stellar elite men’s field that includes the man who beat him last year, Alex Mutiso (KEN), Olympic champion Tamirat Tola (ETH), the fifth-fastest man in history, Sabastian Sawe (KEN), and Jacob Kiplimo (UGA), who regained his world half marathon record in stunning fashion at yesterday’s Barcelona Half Marathon. Kiplimo, who is making his marathon debut in London, ran 56:41 to become the first person in history to run inside 57 minutes for 13.1 miles.
While fans will be eager to see what Kiplimo can achieve over the full marathon distance they will be equally as excited to see the renewal of Bekele’s 22-year rivalry with Kenya’s Kipchoge.
Arguably the two greatest male distance runners in history, Bekele and Kipchoge’s first notable duel was in the 5,000m final at the 2003 World Championships in Paris when the Kenyan won the gold medal and Bekele had to settle for bronze. That result proved to be a rare triumph for Kipchoge over his East African rival on the track, where Bekele reigned supreme. In 17 clashes indoor and out, Bekele triumphed in 14 of them which included gold-medal winning victories in the final of the 2006 World Indoor Championships (3,000m) in Moscow plus at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and 2009 World Championships in Berlin (both over 5,000m).
However, the scales tipped in Kipchoge’s favour when the pair moved up to the marathon distance, where the Kenyan is the undoubted Greatest Of All Time (GOAT) thanks to two Olympic Games victories, 11 Abbott World Marathon Major wins and a sub-two-hour marathon at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in 2019. The pair have met five times over 26.2 miles, including twice at the London Marathon in 2016 and 2018, with Kipchoge triumphing on every occasion, apart from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games marathon.
Bekele, who set an over-40s world record of 2:04:15 at the 2024 TCS London Marathon, said: “It is an honour to be returning to the TCS London Marathon and to be part of such an incredible line-up. The London Marathon is a special event which brings together the best marathon runners in the world and I just love being part of it. Of course, it will be special to once again run against Eliud, we have enjoyed some fantastic moments racing one another over the past 22 years and I’m looking forward to that continuing at the TCS London Marathon.”
Bekele has run the London Marathon on six occasions. His second place at last year’s race matched his previous best finish which came on his debut in 2016.
Spencer Barden, Head of Elite Athletes at the TCS London Marathon, said: “Kenenisa Bekele has given athletics fans so many special moments over his long and hugely successful career and he came so close to creating another when he finished second at last year’s TCS London Marathon. We are delighted he is returning to the TCS London Marathon and to be able to renew the rivalry with Eliud Kipchoge. They are arguably the two greatest male distance runners we have ever seen and it will be special to see them together again at this year’s TCS London Marathon.”
