Will the London Marathon be the fastest of 2024? Exploring the race as some of the fastest marathon runners make the lineup

After an electrifying showdown at the Boston Marathon, fans are poised for yet another World Major Marathon, the 2024 London Marathon on the coming weekend.

The 2024 London Marathon is slated for Sunday, April 21, at 8:30 am local time. The women's marathon will be filled with a star-studded lineup, including Ethiopian long-distance runner and female marathon world record holder Tigst Assefa, Olympic medalist Brigid Kosgei, and Ruth Chepngetich.

Assefa recorded the world record at the 2023 Berlin Marathon after clocking a striking time of 2:11.53. She became the first woman to break the 2:12.00 mark in the women's marathon by shattering the previous record of 2:14.04 set by Kosgei at the 2019 Chicago Marathon. Kosgei will be seen competing in the marathon to secure her sixth Major Marathon title.

Tigst Ketema, who recorded the fastest-ever debut marathon in the women's category at the 2024 Dubai Marathon, clocking a stunning time of 2:16.07 will contest alongside the 2020 Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Chepngetich. The 2020 Olympic marathon gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir will step on the course to vie for her first London Marathon title.

A list of female elite athletes to compete at the 2024 London Marathon is given below:

• Tigst ASSEFA
• Brigid KOSGEI
• Ruth CHEPNGETICH
• Tigist KETEMA
• Almaz AYANA
• Megertu ALEMU
• Peres JEPCHIRCHIR
• Joyciline JEPKOSGEI
• Yalemzerf YEHUALAW
• Sheila CHEPKIRUI
• Tsige HAILESLASE
• Susanna SULLIVAN
• Manon TRAPP
• Becky BRIGGS
• Alice WRIGHT
• Anya CULLING
• Rachel HODGKINSON
• Helen GAUNT
• Mhairi MACLENNAN
• Lucy REID

Kenenisa Bekele and Tamirat Tola will be the athletes to look forward to in the men's category at the 2024 London Marathon

Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia celebrates after finishing third in the Men's Elite race during the 47th Berlin Marathon in Germany.

Kenenisa Bekele, a four-time Olympic medalist, and six-time World Major Marathon medalist will be a standout athlete in the men's lineup in London.

The 41-year-old runner secured his last World Major Marathon medal at the 2021 Berlin Marathon after recording a remarkable time of 2:06:47. He will contend against fellow Ethiopian runner Tamirat Tola, who recorded his personal best of 2:03.39 in 2021. He secured a gold and a bronze medal at the 2023 New York and 2023 London marathons after clocking 2:04:58 and 2:04:59, respectively.

Bekele and Tola will be joined by Dawit Wolde, who holds the personal best of 2:03.48, 2023 World Championships bronze medalist Leul Gebresilase (PB: 2:04:02), and Kinde Atanaw, who owns the personal best of 2:03:51.

A list of male elite athletes to compete at the 2024 London Marathon is given below:

• Kenenisa BEKELE
• Mosinet GEREMEW
• Alexander Mutiso MUNYAO
• Tamirat TOLA
• Dawit WOLDE
• Kinde ATANAW
• Leul GEBRESILASE
• Geoffrey KAMWOROR
• Seifu TURA
• Daniel DO NASCIMENTO
• Addisu GOBENA
• Milkesa MENGESHA
• Henok TESFAY
• Emile CAIRESS
• Callum HAWKINS
• Hassan CHAHDI
• Mahamed MAHAMED
• Brian SHRADER
• Weynay GHEBRESILASIE
• Andrew HEYES
• Alexander LEPRETRE
• Hiko Tonosa HASO
• Norman SHREEVE
• Alex MILNE
• William MYCROFT
• David BISHOP
• Adam BOWDEN
• Kieran WALKER
• Alexander LAWRENCE
• Daniel HAMILTON
• Dominic JONES
• Fraser STEWART
• Tom FRITH
• James HOAD
• Ryan THOMSON
• Martin HOARE
• Charlie SANDISON
• Paulos SURAFEL
• Daniel MATEIKO
• Jacob ALLEN
• Kieran CLEMENTS
• Marc SCOTT
• Sean TOBIN