Absent: Mo Farah
(Picture: Getty Images)Sunday’s London Marathon was supposed to see Mo Farah on the comeback trail in his first marathon for three years.
His training partner, Bashir Abdi, the Olympic and world champion, said before his withdrawal that in training Farah had returned to the sort of form he was in before winning the Chicago Marathon in 2018.
And yet a hip injury sees him sidelined, the latest in a list of high-profile casualties from the race.
This was supposed to be Eilish McColgan’s first marathon but, after the best summer of her career on the track, the 31-year-old withdrew struggling with her blood sugar levels when refuelling on long runs.
The world record holder and runaway favourite Brigid Kosgei is also consigned to watching from home after a hamstring injury forced her out earlier this week.
Tamirat Tola pulled out having not recovered from his efforts in Oregon to win the world title and Vincent Kipchumba and Mosinet Geremew, second and third in London last year respectively, have also been scratched from the entry lists.
The best star quality of all, Eliud Kipchoge, is acting as an ambassador for tomorrow’s mini marathon and the world record holder a glorified cheerleader for the race itself. The hope is a marathon that prides itself on being the best in the world can lure back Kipchoge when it reverts back to its traditional April date next year.
Of the Kipchoge conundrum, race director Hugh Brasher said: “We need to ask him what his plans are for next April. We would be delighted to have him back as a four-time champion and the greatest marathon runner of all time.”
And using the example of Kipchoge breaking the world record in Berlin as he did last weekend, Brasher added that marathon bosses were hopeful of getting Farah back on the start line. “The door will always be open to Mo,” he said. “Eliud is proving aged 37 that the age barrier we used to think existed does not.”
Such is the strength in depth of the London fields, there is still a sprinkling of stardust in the elite races. Kenenisa Bekele, with his own injury problems in recent years, will be aiming to back up Brasher’s mantra and return to his best at the age of 40.
There is the less-heralded Birhanu Legese, the third-fastest man is in the field, so too last year’s surprise winner Sisay Lemma.
In the women’s, last year’s champion Joyciline Jepkosgei returns against fellow Kenyan Judith Korir while, from a British perspective, Charlotte Purdue is hopeful of her best result yet having shaved two minutes off her PB last year for a top-10 finish.
Assessing her chances, she said: “I’d love to creep up higher but I know the field is stacked full of really good athletes.”
