Leading runners said on Friday (April 21) that there could be a new women’s world record set at the London Marathon.
Marathon debutante and Olympic gold medallist Sifan Hassan lines up against defending champion Yalemzerf Yehualaw, world record holder Brigid Kosgei and Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir in what race organisers say it’s the greatest-ever elite women’s field.
“I hope we will run or do a course record or women new world record,” Yehualaw said at a press conference. “I want to defend my title on Sunday – I am ready for Sunday to do my best.”
Kosgei’s preparations have been interrupted by injury, but she says she will be ready to compete.
“For this race I was well prepared but in some weeks back I was having hamstring and my knee, but I have seen the injury is not bad that is why I tried to come here. But I have seen the field is not easy, it is very strong, because everyone wants to be a winner,” she said.
Jepchirchir is hoping the weather will play its part on Sunday.
“I think if the weather will be fine on Sunday I think even the (world) record might go.”
Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 metre gold medallist Hassan confessed to being nervous about the step up in distance.
“I am very nervous for the marathon and sometimes I wake up and I am like why the hell did I decide to run marathon?”
Britain’s reigning Commonwealth Games 10,000 metres champion Eilish McColgan was also set to run her debut marathon in the event won by her mother Liz in 1996, but she has been forced to pull out of the race due to a knee injury.
Organisers say they see the world record of 2:14:04, set by Kosgei in Chicago in 2019, being broken on Sunday.
