Press Release - London Marathon - 7/7/22

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                      Lemma to lead elite men's field

          Defending champion Lemma will head the elite men's field
                      at the 2022 TCS London Marathon
					 
The elite men's field for the 2022 TCS London Marathon contains a 
mouth-watering list of distance running talent, headed by last year's 
champion Sisay Lemma (ETH) and featuring three of the five fastest men in 
the history of the marathon - as well as Sir Mo Farah, the British hero and 
multiple world and Olympic champion.

Lemma had raced 21 times over the marathon distance before his victory in 
London last year. He had previously racked up wins in smaller marathons 
such as Frankfurt and Vienna and finished third in three different Abbott 
World Marathon Majors, including the London Marathon in 2020.

The 31-year-old will be eager to show the victory was not a one-off by 
defending his title at this year's TCS London Marathon on Sunday 2 October, 
but he faces competition from an incredible line-up of athletes, including 
three countrymen who are among the fastest ever marathon runners.

Bekele is back

Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) is the second-fastest marathon runner in history 
(2:01:41) and one of the greatest distance runners of all time.

Now aged 40, the three-time Olympic champion on the track is in the autumn 
of his career, but he will be hoping for one last dance to finally get a 
London Marathon victory to add to his incredible profile. Bekele has twice 
come close to winning in London, finishing third in 2016 and second in 
2017, but injuries have hampered him in recent years since winning the 2019 
Berlin Marathon in 2:01:41.

Also in the field are fellow Ethiopians Birhanu Legese, who, with a 
personal best of 2:02:48, is the third-fastest man in history, and Mosinet 
Geremew (2:02:55), the fifth-fastest. Geremew finished third in the London 
Marathon last year and was the winner of this year's Seoul Marathon.

Others returning this year are 2021 runner-up Vincent Kipchumba (KEN), who 
also finished second in 2020, while Belgium's Bashir Abdi, the Olympic 
bronze medallist and European record holder (2:03:36), will make his debut 
in the race.

Abdi is a training partner of Farah, who will return to his home-town 
marathon for a fourth time - the last time being in 2019.

Other British athletes confirmed to race are Chris Thompson, Phil Sesemann 
- the first domestic athlete to finish at last year's race - and Mohamud 
Aadan.

Elite men's field

Name                 Country   Personal Best     
Kenenisa BEKELE        ETH     2:01:41
Birhanu LEGESE         ETH     2:02:48
Mosinet GEREMEW        ETH     2:02:55
Amos KIPRUTO           KEN     2:03:13
Sisay LEMMA            ETH     2:03:36
Bashir ABDI            BEL     2:03:36
Tamirat TOLA           ETH     2:03:39
Kinde ATANAW           ETH     2:03:51
Leul GEBRESILASE       ETH     2:04:12
Vincent KIPCHUMBA      KEN     2:04:28
Sir Mo FARAH           GBR     2:05:11
Naoki OKAMOTO          JPN     2:08:04
Naoki AIBA             JPN     2:08:44
Kohei FUTAOKA          JPN     2:09:14
Chris THOMPSON         GBR     2:10:52
Brett ROBINSON         AUS     2:10:55
Jack RAYNER            AUS     2:11:06
Weynay GHEBRESILASIE   GBR     2:12:17
Mohamud AADAN          GBR     2:12:20
Philip SESEMANN        GBR     2:12:58
Mike SAYENKO           USA     2:13:00
Charlie HULSON         GBR     2:13:34
Edward GODDARD         AUS     2:13:45
Matthew LEACH          GBR     2:15:31
Ross BRADEN            GBR     2:16:48
Tony Ah-Thit PAYNE     THA     2:16:56
William BRYAN          GBR     2:17:53
Nicholas BOWKER        GBR     2:18:09
Matthew CREHAN         GBR     2:18:16
Kieran WALKER          GBR     2:19:36
Kowal YOANN            FRA     Debut

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