Olympic champions, Hasan and Tola delighted to return to London Marathon
Paris 2024 Olympic marathon gold medalists Sifan Hassan and Tamirat Tola have been announced as headliners for the 2025 London Marathon scheduled to hold on April 27th.
While it will be the first time back to the London Marathon for the Flying Dutchwoman, Hassan two years after she won in remarkable fashion in 2023 in what her marathon debut was, Tola is returning for the fifth time after failing to finish on his fourth visit last year.
Both reigning Olympic champions are delighted to be back running in London again with all eyes set to be on Hassan who made history in Paris last August when she became the first and only woman in the history to win Olympic gold over 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon
‘It feels so special to come back to the TCS London Marathon. This is where I ran my very first marathon and began my journey in this incredible distance. London is also where I learned to be patient, to trust myself, and to keep pushing even when it feels impossible. It is a place where I grew, not just as an athlete, but as a person.
‘The TCS London Marathon means so much – not only to me but to so many people. I see people taking part for charity, for loved ones and even children running, many for the first time, at the TCS Mini London Marathon. This is what makes it so beautiful.
‘I am excited to return, to race alongside the best athletes in the world and to share the course with everyone who is chasing their own dreams,’ said Hassan, the 31 year old winner of two major marathons (London and Chicago).
Tola, the Ethiopian is seeking to win for the first time in London. His closest chance was in 2023 when he ran 2:04:59 to place third.
‘Winning the Paris Olympic Marathon was the greatest moment of my running career but I don’t want it to be my last great moment. I want to continue competing for the biggest titles in this sport and the TCS London Marathon is very much one of those.
‘I know that London always brings the best marathon racers in the world together so it will not be easy, but it is my ambition to win this historic race for the first time in April,’ he said.
