Peter's Marathon Blog

London, April 26, 2025.

Everyone ready for the 45th edition of the London Marathon?

The weather is expected to be a crucial factor this year.

Race day conditions prove to be quite a challenge!

Even if a cool start is expected (10–11°C at gun time), by midday the mercury could climb to +18°C.

Such conditions are warm enough to impact late-race pacing. This means that hydration and heat management will be as important as splits!

The course is iconic, passing landmarks like Tower Bridge, and many others:

• Cutty Sark, mile 6.
• Tower Bridge, mile 12.
• Tower of London, mile 22.
• London Eye, mile 25.
• Big Ben, mile 25.
• Buckingham Palace, mile 26.

Link: The course | London Marathon Events

Sightseeing will be really nice for the 55.000 runners who want to take their time & enjoy every minute of the scenery, but of course, Sunday is also a “Clash of Champions”!

Elite Men: Clash of Champions

This year’s men’s field is stacked with legends and rising stars:

• Eliud Kipchoge: he’s the marathon “GOAT”, returning to London for the first time since 2020. While he’s no longer invincible, his tactical prowess and experience in championship conditions make him a strong candidate to win.
• Alexander Mutiso Munyao, who is the defending champion. He clocked 2:04:01 last year.
• Tamirat Tola: The Olympic champion from Paris 2024, bringing major-race experience, and a proven ability to close hard in the final miles.

What about Jacob Kiplimo?

Ah.

Jacob Kiplimo is one of the most fascinating athletes to watch, in my opinion.

This 24-year-old Ugandan comes in as the world record holder in the half marathon, having crushed the previous record with a 56:42 performance in Barcelona just two months ago.

Kiplimo is also a two-time world cross country champion, bringing both speed and endurance to his marathon debut.

Kiplimo openly acknowledged the challenge of this longer distance training, but he appears to have absorbed the training well, with no reported setbacks.

Bookmakers see Kiplimo as the favorite to win the men’s race, but expectations are being kept low by both Kiplimo himself and his entourage, emphasizing that London is about learning and adapting to the full marathon distance.

With his raw speed and endurance, Kiplimo could challenge the two-hour barrier, but the marathon is a different beast, of course.

Elite Women?

The women’s field is equally strong:

• Ruth Chepngetich: she is the marathon world record holder. If conditions allow, she will push the pace and then she could even threaten the course record.
• Peres Jepchirchir: She set the women’s world record here last year (2:16:16). She will be tough to beat in a tactical race.
• Tigst Assefa: One of the fastest women ever, with a 2:11:53 PB. If she’s in top form, she could make this an exciting race!
• Sifan Hassan: Sifan is the reigning Olympic champion and one of the most versatile distance runners in history. Her closing speed is unmatched.

However, there are many, many other strong contenders!

Tactics

• Heat Management will be key: as mentioned above, with temperatures rising, those who hydrate and adapt their pacing will have the edge.
• World Record prize: The substantial bonus for a world record will tempt fast front-runners, of course. But the conditions may favor a more tactical, negative-split approach.
• Atmosphere: The energy in London is unmatched, but that comes with a lot of noise and congestion, especially around Tower Bridge and Canary Wharf.

Conclusion

London Marathon is a real clash of legends, record chasers, and promising debutants.

Expect fireworks!

And perhaps a new chapter in marathon history … :-)

Who is your favorite medal candidate?

Kind regards,

Peter

P.S. More information on the event can be found here: TCS London Marathon | London Marathon Events