FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Greatest-ever field assembled for elite women's race
Reigning Olympic champions and national and world record holders
among the elite women taking on the 2023 TCS London Marathon
The world's greatest line-up of female distance runners will take on the
elite women's race at the 2023 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 23 April.
Among those taking part in the most star-studded race in the history of
marathon running are the defending champion and world 10K record holder
Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH), the marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei
(KEN) and the Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir (KEN).
In addition to that stellar trio, the reigning Olympic 10,000m and 5000m
champion Sifan Hassan (NED) will be making her marathon debut.
Also on the Start Line will be the 1500m world record holder Genzebe Dibaba
(ETH), the 2016 Olympic 10,000m champion Almaz Ayana (ETH) and the reigning
Berlin Marathon champion Tigist Assefa (ETH), the fifth-fastest women's
marathoner in history.
A showdown of speed
The field will also include Britain's Eilish McColgan, the reigning
Commonwealth Games 10000m champion making her marathon debut, as well as
three national record holders: Emily Sisson (USA), Sinead Diver (AUS) and
Natasha Wodak (CAN).
American record holder Sisson will have a fascinating duel with compatriot
Keira D'Amato, who held the US record for 10 months, from January to
October last year, with a time of 2:19:12 set at the 2022 Houston Marathon.
Sisson reduced the US record even further at last October's Bank of America
Chicago Marathon when she ran 2:18:29 to finish second overall*. She has
since gone on to become the USA's half marathon record holder as well,
running 66:52 in Houston on 15 January.
The finest field so far
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the TCS London Marathon, said: "This is
quite simply the greatest women's field ever assembled for a marathon –
arguably the greatest field ever assembled for a women's distance race. We
have two reigning Olympic champions, three world record holders and
multiple national record holders, in addition to an incredibly strong
British contingent led by Eilish McColgan.
"It's going to be a race the whole world will be anticipating and I can't
wait to see what happens on Sunday 23 April. We've had such a rich pedigree
of incredible women's results here in London. We have had world records and
unforgettable performances from the likes of Grete Weitz, Ingrid
Kristiansen, Paula Radcliffe and Mary Keitany. I am sure this amazing 2023
women's field will provide another extraordinary chapter in the London
Marathon's rich and proud history of stunning races."
Reigning champion Yehualaw said: "My victory at last year's TCS London
Marathon was a day I will never forget. I am very much looking forward to
returning to London and being part of this amazing field."
Hassan, the double Olympic champion, said: "Moving up to the marathon
distance has always been a plan of mine and I'm really excited to be making
my debut at the TCS London Marathon. It will be a step into the unknown in
many ways for me but I'm looking forward to it."
In total, the 2023 TCS London Marathon elite women's field will feature 10
women who have run inside 2:19 and five who have gone under 2:18.
You can view the full elite women's start list for the 2023 TCS London
Marathon below and find out more about the elite men's field here. For more
information on the elite wheelchair athlete races, click here.
Elite women at the 2023 TCS London Marathon
- Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH, personal best 2:17:23)
- Brigid Kosgei (KEN, 2:14:04 WR)
- Tigist Assefa (ETH, 2:15:37)
- Peres Jepchirchir (KEN, 2:17:16)
- Almaz Ayana (ETH, 2:17:20)
- Genzebe Dibaba (ETH, 2:18:05)
- Sutume Asefa Kebede (2:18:12)
- Judith Jeptum Korir (KEN, 2:18:20)
- Emily Sisson (USA, 2:18:29 NR)
- Alemu Megertu (ETH, 2:18:32)
- Keira D'Amato (USA, 2:19:12)
- Sinead Diver (AUS, 2:21:34 NR)
- Jess Piasecki (GBR, 2:22:27)
- Natasha Wodak (CAN, 2:23:12 NR)
- Charlotte Purdue (GBR, 2:23:26)
- Susanna Sullivan (USA, 2:25:14)
- Ellie Pashley (AUS, 2:26:21)
- Stephanie Davis (GBR, 2:27:16)
- Maor Tiyouri (ISR, 2:29:04)
- Alice Wright (GBR, 2:29:08)
- Rosie Edwards (GBR, 2:31:56)
- Samantha Harrison (GBR, 2:32:22)
- Eilish McColgan (GBR, debut)
- Sifan Hassan (NED, debut)
- Girmawit Gebrzihair (ETH, debut)
- Dominique Scott (RSA, debut)
* The only other US woman to have run inside 2:20 is Deena Kastor, who held
the American record for 16 years with a time of 2:19:36, which she set when
she won the London Marathon in 2006.
###
|
