The stage is set for a gladiatorial showdown on the streets of London. Defending champion Sebastian Sawe will headline a terrifyingly fast elite men’s field for the 2026 TCS London Marathon, facing off against Olympic king Tamirat Tola.

Organizers have assembled what is arguably the deepest field in history for the April 26 race. Sawe, who stunned the world with his 2:02:27 victory last year and followed it up with a Berlin masterclass, enters as the man to beat. But the shadow of the late Kelvin Kiptum hangs over the event, fueling a renewed hunger to chase the sub-two-hour barrier.

The Kenyan vs. The Ethiopian

"I am not defending a title; I am attacking history," Sawe told reporters from his training base in Kapsabet. His rivalry with Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola is the narrative defining this season. Tola, fresh from a world-leading 2:05:40 in Doha and his Paris Olympic gold, is in the form of his life. It is the classic Kenya-Ethiopia duel, renewed with lethal intensity.

Adding to the intrigue is the marathon debut of Ugandan track legend Jacob Kiplimo. Having finished second to Sawe last year, Kiplimo has unfinished business. "The track speed is there. Now I have the miles," Kiplimo warned.

• The X-Factor: Keep an eye on Yomif Kejelcha. The Ethiopian track star is making his full marathon debut. With a half-marathon world record pedigree, he is the wildcard that could blow the race wide open.
• The Kiptum Legacy: This is the first London Marathon where the "sub-two" belief feels real again since Kiptum's tragic death. The course is fast, the shoes are faster, and the field is hungry.

More Than a Race

For Sawe, a win here cements his status as the undisputed king of the roads in the post-Kipchoge era. He has explicitly stated he will skip the World Half Marathon championships to focus on this prize. The strategy is clear: total domination of the Majors.

London awaits. With 39 elite men toeing the line, the tarmac from Greenwich to the Mall is set to burn.