“I am looking forward to racing Sir Mo Farah again. He is a great champion and proved in Chicago that he can win a major marathon so I relish the battle with him and also the many other great athletes that I’m sure will once again be on the Start Line in London.”
Kipchoge’s marathon world record has cemented his position on as the greatest marathon runner of all me.
He is unbeaten in the Virgin Money London Marathon with three victories from his three appearances in 2015,2016 and 2018. He holds the course record of 2:03:05, which he set in 2016, and, if he wins one more title, he will become the most successful athlete in the elite men’s race in London Marathon history.
In addition to this, Kipchoge is the reigning Olympic marathon champion and has won three BMW Berlin Marathon tiles and one Bank of America Chicago Marathon title.
Adding extra spice to the clash between Kipchoge and Farah is the fact that they are currently joint top of the Abbott World Marathon Majors Series XII leaderboard and victory in London could confirm the Series XII title. Their respective wins at last year’s BMW Berlin Marathon and Bank of America Chicago Marathon put them on 25 points apiece, alongside Lelisa Desisa, the winner of the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon. Kitata is in joint second place on the leaderboard after finishing runner-up to Desisa in New York.
The Abbott World Marathon Majors series tracks the points awarded for the best finishes in the world’s six best marathons. Series XII started at the 2018 BMW Berlin Marathon and will finish at the same race in 2019, taking in the 2018 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, 2018 TCS New York City Marathon, 2019 Tokyo Marathon, 2019 Boston Marathon and the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon.
Hugh Brasher, Event Director of the Virgin Money London Marathon, said: “There is no doubt that Eliud Kipchoge is the greatest marathon runner of all me. His world record at the BMW Berlin Marathon was a legendary sporting moment and one more win at the Virgin Money London Marathon would make him the most successful athlete in the history of the elite men’s race in our event’s illustrious history.
“Since Sir Mo Farah won the Bank of America Chicago Marathon in October, everyone has been talking about another head-to-head between Mo and Eliud and we are absolutely thrilled that this showdown will happen at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon.
“We will see two absolute legends of distance running competing over 26.2 miles of roads in the greatest marathon in the world. I cannot wait un l Sunday 28 April to see who comes out on top.”
