Elite women
The 2022 TCS London Marathon elite women's race
Start list
View the full elite women’s start list for the 2022 TCS London Marathon, along with details of the pacemakers
Race preview
Read about the top contenders in this year's elite women's race
Awards and bonuses
See the prize money available for top elite women's performances in 2022
Press conference quotes
View quotes from Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN), Judith Korir (KEN) and Charlotte Purdue (GBR) at the elite women's press conference on Wednesday 28 September
2022 elite women's field
- Born: 17 April 1988
Marathon best: 2:17:58, Tokyo (2022)
London Marathon record: 2020 – 4th (2:22:51), 2021 – 3rd (2:18:18)
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Berlin: 2019 – 1st (2:20:14_; Tokyo: 2016 – 7th (2:25:50), 2022 – 2nd (2:17:58)
Other major city marathons: Chongqing: 2013 – 3rd (2:32:23); Frankfurt: 2014 – 3rd (2:24:59); Paris: 2018 – 4th (2:23:27); Prague: 2014 – 3rd (2:28:04), 2015 – 5th (2:26:55); Rome: 2012 – 2nd (2:31:23); Rotterdam: 2019 – 1st (2:22:55); Seoul: 2017 – 2nd (2:25:57); Valencia: 2018 – 1st (2:21:14)
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Bekere was third at last year’s London Marathon and second in this year’s Tokyo Marathon, the first Abbott World Marathon Major of the year. She had an incredible run of three marathon victories in a row when she won the 2018 Valencia Marathon, 2019 Rotterdam Marathon and 2019 Berlin Marathon, which was the biggest win of her career. In a marathon career going back to 2011, Bekere has hit a rich vein of form in recent years and is remarkably consistent over the distance. In 23 races, she has never placed outside the top 10 and only three times outside the top five. - Born: 11 May 1995
Marathon best: 2:19:10, Tokyo (2022)
London Marathon record: N/A
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Berlin: 2021 – 2nd (2:21:23); Tokyo: 2022 – 3rd (2:19:10)
Other major city marathons: Dubai: 2016 – 15th (2:34:45); See Genezareth: 2017 – 1st (2:25:45); Ottawa: 2017 – 2nd (2:30:53), 2018 – 2nd (2:26:11); Lanzhou: 2019 – 6th (2:32:48); Guangzhou: 2019 – 1st (2:23:50); Osaka: 2020 – DNF; Istanbul: 2020 – 2nd (2:24:30); Milan: 2021 – 1st (2:19:35)
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Gebrekidan, a former 5000m world junior silver medallist, made a big breakthrough in marathon running in 2021 when she came second in the Berlin Marathon (2:21:23), her Abbott World Marathon Major debut. She continued her form with a third place at this year’s Tokyo Marathon in a PB of 2:19:10. - Born: 25 August 1992
Marathon best: 2:27:20 (Seville 2022)
London Marathon record: 2016 – 43rd (2:55:41), 2018 – 60th (3:04:24), 2021 – 15th (2:29:45)
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: N/A
Marathons in major championships: Worlds: 2022 – DNF
Notes: Harvey ran a marathon personal best of 2:27:20 at the 2022 Seville Marathon in February, a time that places her 10th on the all-time British women rankings. The run earned her selection for the World Championships in Oregon where she did not finish. She runs for Clapham Chasers and has made incredible strides since her first London Marathon in 2016, which she finished in 2:55:41. - Born: 8 December 1994
Marathon best: 2:23:52, Nagoya (2019)
London Marathon record: N/A
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Berlin: 2016 – 4th (2:28:16)
Other major city marathons: Yokohama: 2014 – 3rd (2:27:21); Nagoya: 2015 – 7th (2:29:16), 2016 – 5th (2:24:38), 2018 – 4th (2:26:28), 2019 – 5th (2:23:52), 2020 – 9th (2:28:39), 2021 – 16th (2:30:35), 2022 – 11th (2:27:03); Saitama: 2017 – 5th (2:31:11); Marathon Grand Championships (Tokyo): 2019 – 9th (2:41:22); Prague: 2021 – 11th (2:32:33); Hofu: 2021 – 1st (2:31:32); Osaka: 2022 – 8th (2:27:14)
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Iwade is a Japanese marathoner with a PB of 2:23:52, which she set at the Nagoya Marathon in 2019. Her only previous Abbott World Marathon Major came in Berlin in 2016, where she finished fourth in 2:28:16. She won the Hofu Marathon in her homeland last year. - Born: 8 December 1993
Marathon best: 2:17:43, London (2021)
London Marathon record: 2021 – 1st (2:17:43)
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: New York 2019 – 1st (2:22:38); Boston: 2022 – 7th (2:24:43)
Other major city marathons: Valencia 2020 – 2nd (2:18:40)
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: A former world record holder over the half marathon distance, Jepkosgei made a seamless step up to the marathon by winning the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon and then the 2021 London Marathon, where she set a new PB of 2:17:43. Jepkosgei, who was second in the 2018 World Half Marathon Championships, also has a second-place finish at the Valencia Marathon (2022) on her CV, but she could only finish seventh at this year’s Boston Marathon. - Born: 11 December 1994
Marathon best: 2:18:12, Seoul (2022)
London Marathon record: N/A
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Tokyo: 2020 – 3rd (2:20:30); Boston: 2021 – 24th (2:37:45)
Other major city marathons: Dubai: 2016 – 4th (2:24:00); Rotterdam: 2016 – 2nd (2:28:04); Frankfurt: 2016 – DNF; Toronto: 2017 – 2nd (2:29:26); Ljubljana: 2018 – 7th (2:29:45); Osaka: 2019 – DNF; Beijing: 2019 – 1st (2:23:31); Seoul: 2022 – 2nd (2:18:12)
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Kebede is an experienced marathon runner who finished runner-up behind Joan Melly at this year’s Seoul Marathon in a new personal best of 2:18:12. She was third at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon and won the 2019 Beijing Marathon. - Born: 28 September 1987
Marathon best: 2:34:53
London Marathon record: N/A
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: New York: 2016 – 16th (2:40:00); Chicago: 2018 – 10th (2:34:53)
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Klimek is an experienced USA distance runner whose legal marathon PB of 2:34:53 was set when she finished 10th at the Chicago Marathon in 2018. She has run 2:30:48 in Sacramento but the course was not legal. - Born: 12 December 1995
Marathon best: 2:18:20, Oregon (2022 World Championships)
London Marathon record: N/A
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: N/A
Other major city marathons: Belgrade: 2019 – 1st (2:45:04); Venice: 2019 – 1st (2:29:21); Izmir: 2020 – 1st (2:33:59), 2021 – 3rd (2:26:52); Eldoret: 2021 – 2nd (2:28:31); Abu Dhabi: 2021 – 1st (2:22:30); Paris: 2022 – 1st (2:19:48)
Marathons in major championships: Worlds: 2022 – 2nd (2:18:20)
Notes: Korir is the silver medallist from the 2022 World Championships in Oregon and the winner of the 2022 Paris Marathon. She has not had the traditional track background and has competed solely on roads internationally. She has marathon victories in Venice, Izmir and Abu Dhabi to her name. - Born: 12 October 1997
Marathon best: 2:18:51, Seville (2022)
London Marathon record: 2020 – 5th (2:24:23), 2021 – 13th (2:27:18)
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: N/A
Other major city marathons: Casablanca: 2017 – 4th (2:34:11); Frankfurt: 2019 – 2nd (2:21:10); Mumbai: 2019 – 4th (2:31:00); Rabat: 2018 – 2nd (2:31:33); Rome: 2019 – 1st (2:22:52); Shangai: 2018 – 6th (2:28:08); Zhengzhou: 2017 – 2nd (2:29:10); Seville: 2022 – 1st (2:18:51); Abu Dhabi: 2021 – DNF
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Megertu comes into this year’s London Marathon in the form of her life, having won the 2022 Seville Marathon in a PB of 2:18:51. Megertu’s previous biggest win came in the 2019 Rome Marathon, where she finished in 2:22:52. She made her London Marathon debut in the elite-only St James’s Park race in 2020, finishing in fifth place. She was 13th in the 2021 London Marathon. - Born: 10 November 1990
Marathon best: 2:18:04, Seoul (2022)
London Marathon record: 2021 – 7th (2:21:23)
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Tokyo: 2019 – 8th (2:26:24)
Other major city marathons: Valencia: 2020 – 8th (2:20:57); Seoul: 2022 – 1st (2:18:04)
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Melly set a course record and a new personal best when she won this year’s Seoul Marathon in 2:18:04, in what was her fourth race over 26.2 miles. Born in Kenya, Melly now represents Romania. - Born: 17 December 1998
Marathon best: 2:21:32, Boston (2022)
London Marathon record: N/A
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Boston: 2019 – 7th (2:28:33), 2021 – 3rd (2:25:20), 2022 – 3rd (2:21:32); New York: 2019 – 10th (2:27:36)
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Ngugi has won a silver (2014) and bronze (2016) at the World Half Marathon Championships and finished on the podium at the Boston Marathon on three occasions in 2019, 2020 and 2021. She is coached by British middle distance legend Steve Cram. - Born: 10 June 1991
Marathon best: 2:23:26, London (2021)
London Marathon record: 2016 – 16th (2:32:48), 2017 – 15th (2:29:23), 2019 – 10th (2:25:38), 2021 – 10th (2:23:26)
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: Berlin: 2016 – DNF; Boston: 2022 – 9th (2:25:26)
Other major city marathons: Frankfurt: 2016 – 5th (2:30:04); Saitama: 2017 – 4th (2:30:34)
Marathons in major championships: Worlds: 2017 – 13th (2:29:48), 2019 – DNF; Europeans: 2018 – DNF
Notes: Purdue is the fourth fastest British woman ever, having run 2:23:26 to finish 10th and as first Brit at the 2021 London Marathon. She followed that up with another fabulous run at the 2022 Boston Marathon, where she finished ninth in 2:25:26 – her third consecutive top 10 finish at an Abbott World Marathon Major. She returns to London after having to drop out of the 2022 World Championships marathon in Oregon due to a bout of Covid-19. - Born: 1 April 1994
Marathon best: 2:37:36, Manchester (2022)
London Marathon record: 2021 – 26th (2:42:35)
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: N/A
Other major city marathons: N/A
Marathons in major championships: N/A
Notes: Styles started last year’s race on the championship start and was the 26th fastest women in the entire field (2:42:35). She then went on to run a marathon PB of 2:37:36 at the Manchester Marathon in April. - Born: 17 August 1989
Marathon best: 2:26:40, Frankfurt (2019)
London Marathon record: 2020 – DNF
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: N/A
Other major city marathons: Frankfurt: 2019 – 8th (2:26:40); Valencia: 2018 – 7th (2:30:14)
Marathons in major championships: Olympic Games: 2020 (2021) – 68th (2:53:26)
Notes: Twell is number six on the British all-time list with her time of 2:26:40, which was set at the Frankfurt Marathon in October 2019 – her second outing over 26.2 miles. A former world junior 1,500m champion, Twell has been a long-standing British international on all surfaces since she was a youth. She won the European junior cross country title three times in a row from 2006 to 2008. As a senior, she bagged a European 5,000m bronze in 2016 and was a world finalist in 2015. She has been to two Olympic Games (2008 and 2016) and represented Scotland at three Commonwealth Games (2010, 2014 and 2018). - Born: 3 August 1999
Marathon best: 2:17:23, Hamburg (2022)
London Marathon record: N/A
Other Abbott World Marathon Majors: N/A
Other major city marathons: Hamburg 2022 – 1st (2:17:23)
Notes: Yehualaw made the fastest marathon debut in history after her stunning win at the Hamburg Marathon in April in 2:17:23, a time which is also an Ethiopian national record. Yehualaw is also the world record holder for 10K with a time of 29:14 – set in Valencia in February 2022 – and the second fastest women of all-time for the half marathon (63:51). She was third in the World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, in October 2020.