Virgin London Marathon 2014 – Men’s Preview: Kebede, the Kenyans, Haile and Mo – a race to relish

Reigning champion Tsegaye Kebede will defend his Virgin Money London Marathon men's title on Sunday 13 April against an elite field containing four of the fastest 10 runners in history and seven from the all-time top 20. Among the names who'll line up against the Ethiopian are three who have run a marathon under 2 hours 4 minutes and seven who have run sub-2:05.

He'll also face Uganda's world and Olympic champion, Stephen Kiprotich, and Britain's big hope, Mo Farah, who makes his full marathon debut in London this year under enormous expectations.

As if that wasn't enough to whet the appetite, the London crowds will also be treated to the sight of Haile Gebrselassie, the former world record holder and one of the greatest distance runners of all time, who will run as a pacemaker for the elite men, taking them through to the 30km point on world record schedule.

Top of the list of Kebede's challengers is the 2012 champion and Olympic bronze medallist Wilson Kipsang, the Kenyan who broke Patrick Makau's world record at the Berlin Marathon last September. Kipsang now has the best race record of any of the leading men with two sub-2:04 times, two of the three quickest times ever, and four runs under 2:05.

He will be joined by three compatriots of proven world class – the London course record holder and 2011 champion Emmanuel Mutai, who was second in 2013; the two-times New York Marathon champion Geoffrey Mutai; and the Paris Marathon champion Stanley Biwott.

Kebede will start full of confidence after winning the 2012/13 World Marathon Majors crown. He leads an equally strong Ethiopian contingent that includes three young marathon runners, who have all burst on to the scene in the last few years, plus the 2011 world 10,000m champion Ibrahim Jeilan who is making his debut.

The young guns include the 2012 Dubai Marathon champion, Ayele Abshero, and the 2011 World Championships bronze medallist, Feyisa Lilesa, who finished third and fourth respectively last year. Youngest of all is the 18-year-old, Tsegaye Mekonnen, who set a world junior best for the distance on his marathon debut in Dubai this January.

Kiprotich finished sixth last year, and returns to the British capital after adding the world title to his London Olympic crown in Moscow last August. Now a proven championship racer, Kiprotich will be looking to make his mark in a big city event.

The rest of the African challenge comes from two strong Eritreans, Samuel Tsegay and Amanuel Mesel, and a Tyneside-based Ethiopian, Yared Hagos. The two-time New York Marathon winner Marîlson dos Santos flies the flag for South America, accompanied by fellow-Brazilian Paulo Roberto Paula.

As for the Britons, Farah will attract great attention as he moves up from 5000m and 10,000m, at which he has won European, world and Olympic titles in the last four years. He has much to achieve as no British man has won the London Marathon for 21 years, or been in the top three for 18; none has run quicker than 2:09 for 17 years, and the British record has been stuck, at 2:07:13, for 28 years.

Farah has stated that Steve Jones' 1985 national record figures are his primary goal, but it remains to be seen how badly he has been affected by the tumble and temporary collapse he suffered at the New York half marathon on 16 March.

Farah will be joined on the start line by a pair of former training partners, Scott Overall and Chris Thompson, two among a batch of Britons many of whom will be seeking selection to GB and home nation teams for this summer's European Championships and Commonwealth Games.

Farah will appear at a press conference at the Tower Hotel, London, on Tuesday 8 April. Some of the other elite men will appear on Wednesday 9 April, while Overall and Thompson will be among the British runners present on Thursday 10 April.

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Source: Virgin London Marathon

 

Elite Men: Entries

 

Bib no.       Name                                   Nation          PB                  Bib name

1                Tsegaye Kebede                    ETH               2:04:38           KEBEDE

2                Wilson Kipsang                      KEN              2:03:23           KIPSANG

3                Emmanuel Mutai                    KEN              2:03:52           E. MUTAI

4                Geoffrey Mutai                       KEN              2:04:15*         G. MUTAI

5                Ayele Abshero                        ETH              2:04:23           ABSHERO

6                Tsegaye Mekonnen                 ETH              2:04:32           MEKONNEN

7                Feyisa Lilesa                          ETH              2:04:52           LILESA

8                Stanley Biwott                       KEN              2:05:12           BIWOTT

9                Marîlson dos Santos               BRA              2:06:34           DOS SANTOS

10               Martin Mathathi                    KEN               2:07:16          MATHATHI

11               Stephen Kiprotich                 UGA              2:07:20           KIPROTICH

12               Samuel Tsegay                     ERI               2:07:28           TSEGAY

14               Amanuel Mesel                     ERI               2:08:17           MESEL

15               Paulo Roberto Paula              BRA              2:10:23           PAULA

16               Scott Overall                        GBR              2:10:55           OVERALL

17               Reid Coolsaet                       CAN              2:10:55           COOLSAET

18               Ryan Vail                             USA              2:11:45           VAIL

19               Pedro Nimo                          ESP               2:12:10           NIMO

20               Rui Pedro Silva                     POR              2:12:15           PEDRO SILVA

24               Craig Hopkins                       GBR              2:16:51           HOPKINS

25               Yared Hagos                         ETH              2:19:32           HAGOS

26               Mo Farah                              GBR              Debut              MO

27               Ibrahim Jeilan                       ETH              Debut              JEILAN

28               Chris Thompson                    GBR              Debut              THOMPSON

29               Ben Livesey                          GBR              Debut              LIVESEY

* Geoffrey Mutai ran 2:03:02 to win the 2011 Boston Marathon but it is not recognised for record purposes because of the point-to-point downhill nature of the Boston course.

 

Click here to see all the 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon entry lists.