FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kipsang and Kimetto to Clash at 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon
The world's greatest men's marathon runners will go head-to-head over the
marathon distance for the first time when they clash at the 2015 Virgin
Money London Marathon on Sunday 26 April, the race organisers announced
today.
Former world-record holder Wilson Kipsang will defend his London Marathon
title in a mile-by-mile bout against fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto, the man
who made history last year when he broke Kipsang's record to become the
first man ever to run 26.2 miles in less than two hours three minutes.
Kimetto, who clocked 2:02:57 in last September's Berlin Marathon, will make
his London Marathon debut in April, while Kipsang takes on the iconic
course for the fourth time having won in 2012 and 2014. The two are
training partners in the Kenyan town of Iten but have never faced each
other over the marathon distance.
Kipsang, who set the former world record of 2:03:23 at the Berlin Marathon
in 2013, broke the London course record last year when he won in 2:04:29.
Now he is aiming to become only the fourth man in the event's 35-year
history to claim a hat-trick of London titles.
The 32-year-old has won eight marathons in his career, including his last
three races, and was crowned the 2013-2014 World Marathon Majors champion
after winning the 2014 New York City Marathon last November.
"I would love to join the London Marathon legends by winning a third
title," said Kipsang, who took the bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic
Games.
"London always has the best fields but with Dennis in the line-up this year
it promises to be a bruising battle. I certainly won't give up my title
without a fight, but let's see who has the knock-out blow."
The 30-year-old Kimetto, a relative late-comer to world-class distance
running, ran the fastest ever debut marathon when he finished second in
Berlin in 2012. He has since won three World Marathon Majors races, taking
victory at the 2013 Tokyo and Chicago Marathons before last year's triumph
in the German capital when he averaged four minutes 41 seconds per mile to
break the historic 2:03 barrier.
"I broke Wilson's world record in Berlin last year and now I want his
London Marathon crown," said Kimetto. "I am relishing the chance to face my
friend over the famous course. I know it won't be easy but I am confident I
can go the distance whatever he throws at me."
Virgin Money London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher said: "Having the
current and former world-record holders in the same race, going stride for
stride for the first time, is a real coup for us on our 35th anniversary,
and a thrilling prospect for marathon fans.
"Wilson is familiar with our course and showed last year why he is already
regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time. But Dennis
arrives as a history-maker after making headlines around the world a few
months ago. It would take a brave man to predict which one will be left
standing on 26 April."
The Kenyan pair are just two of the big hitters in a magnificent men's
elite field announced today that includes the three quickest marathon
runners of all time (on legitimate courses); five of the world's all-time
top 10; and eight men in total who have run sub-2:05.
And that's without counting the legendary Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, the
triple Olympic track gold medallist, and multiple world-record breaker, who
makes his London Marathon debut in what is scheduled to be his fourth race
over the distance.
Bekele ran 2:05:04 to win the Paris Marathon in 2014, but such is the
quality of the London field that he is only the ninth quickest in the
line-up and third fastest Ethiopian behind 2012 Dubai Marathon champion
Ayele Abshero and Tsegaye Mekonnen, who became the fastest junior in
history when he won the Dubai race last January.
Kipsang and Kimetto are joined by four other strong Kenyans, including 2011
London champion Emmanuel Mutai, who ran the second quickest time ever when
finishing runner-up to Kimetto in Berlin last year; Eliud Kipchoge, the
former world 5000m champion who won the 2014 Chicago Marathon last October;
and Sammy Kitwara, who was second in Chicago and third in Tokyo last year.
Last year's runner-up Stanley Biwott, another sub-2:05 man, returns to the
London Marathon seeking to go one better in 2015, while a former Rotterdam
Marathon champion, Tilahun Regassa, is the fourth Ethiopian in the field
with a best of 2:05:27.
British interest rests with Scott Overall, a 2012 Olympian who was fifth at
the Berlin Marathon in 2011, and Steve Way, the 40-year-old reformed
drinker and smoker who broke the British veterans' record to finish 10th at
the Glasgow Commonwealth Games.
The 2015 men's elite line-up and their best marathon times:
Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:23
Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) 2:02:57
Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) 2:03:13
Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 2:04:05
Ayele Abshero (Ethiopia) 2:04:23
Sammy Kitwara (Kenya) 2:04:28
Tsegaye Mekonnen (Ethiopia) 2:04:32
Stanley Biwott (Kenya) 2:04:55
Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 2:05:04
Tilahun Regassa (Ethiopia) 2:05:27
Samuel Tsegay (Eritrea) 2:07:28
Serhiy Lebid (Ukraine) 2:08:32
Aleksey Reunkov (Russia) 2:09:54
Ghebrezgiabhier Kibrom (Eritrea) 2:10:00
Marcin Chabowski (Poland) 2:10:07
Koen Raymaekers (Netherlands) 2:10:35
Scott Overall (Great Britain & NI) 2:10:55
Michael Shelley (Australia) 2:11:15
Javier Guerra (Spain) 2:12:21
Steve Way (Great Britain & NI) 2:15:16
Christian Kreienbühl (Germany) 2:15:35
Pedro Ribeiro (Portugal) Debut
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