The wait did not take long. For the first ever, Uganda’s long-distance running prolific runners Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo will face-off in a marathon this year.
Cheptegei and Kiplimo were announced late last week as two of the big names to headline the London Marathon which will happen on the streets of the English capital on April 26.
The London do is one of the seven big World Marathon Majors (WMM) of the year and the men’s current world record mark of two hours, one minute and 25 seconds was set there by Kenyan the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
Cheptegei and Kiplimo last competed together in a race – during the men’s 10000 metres final – at the Paris Olympics in France in August 2024.
It was the last career track race for each of the Ugandan pair. Cheptegei won the gold medal but Kiplimo was disappointed with a distant eighth place finish on August 2, 2024.
And 18 months later, the two will meet in totally different circumstances. ‘London it is! I’m excited to return to the city where I won my first world medal in 2017 but this time to take on the marathon I’ve heard so much about,’ Cheptegei wrote in a post on Facebook.
The 29-year-old dominated track; beginning with that silver medal at the London World Championships before doing a three-peat over the 25-lap race at the Doha 2019, Oregon 2022 and Budapest 2023 editions of the Worlds.
‘I can’t wait to experience it for real and feel the energy of the thousands of people in the streets. See you in April,’ he added.
Cheptegei’s marathon trajectory has been a rather more calculated transition, with notable improvements from 37th place with 2:08:59 on his debut at the Valencia Marathon in 2023, to ninth place at the Tokyo Marathon in 2:05:59 last March.
On October 19, Cheptegei finished fifth at the Amsterdam Marathon in the Netherlands, posting another 42km personal best of 2:04:52.
However, Kiplimo’s craft on the road is finer and relatively unmatched. The 25-year-old completed his three-peat at the World Cross-country Championships in Florida, USA early last month.
Last February, Kiplimo reclaimed his 21km world record with a time of 56:42 at the Barcelona Half-Marathon in Spain before debuting in the 42km race, with a respectable second place at the London Marathon, won by Kenyan Sabastian Sawe.
In October, Kiplimo became the seventh fastest marathoner ever as he won the Chicago Marathon in Illinois, USA with a national record time of 2:02:23.
On the entry list for the race this April, Kiplimo is ranked second behind Sawe who seeks to retain his title. ‘Sabastian Sawe showed the world at last year’s TCS London Marathon that he is a man that could rewrite the marathon record books so we are delighted to welcome him back for this year’s event,’ said London Marathon Events CEO Hugh Brasher.
‘To run 2:02:27 with a negative split of 60:57 for the second half of the race showed the huge potential he has and we are looking forward to supporting Sabastian run as fast as possible in London on April 26.
‘We are delighted to have such incredible storylines and depth across all our elite races in the 2026 London Marathon,’ added Brasher. Sawe, 29, has won his last three marathons – Berlin and London last year as well as the Valencia race in 2024.
Besides, the field has other entries including 2022 winner Kenyan Amos Kipruto, and a cast of Ethiopians such as Deresa Geleta who was second at the Tokyo Marathon last year, reigning Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and other prospective debutants like Hagos Gebrhiwet and Yomif Kejelcha.
LEADING ENTRIES
Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 2:02:05
Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) 2:02:23
Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:02:38
Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:03:13
Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2:03:39
Amanal Petros (GER) 2:04:03
Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) 2:04:23
Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 2:04:52
Shunya Kikuchi (JPN) 2:06:06
Emile Cairess (GBR) 2:06:46
Mahamed Mahamed (GBR) 2:07:05
Philip Sesemann (GBR) 2:07:10
Hassan Chahdi (FRA) 2:07:30
Adam Lipschitz (RSA) 2:08:54
Patrick Dever (GBR) 2:08:58
Peter Lynch (IRL) 2:09:36
Tim Vincent (AUS) 2:09:40
Weynay Ghebresilasie (GBR) 2:09:50
Tewelde Menges (GBR) 2:09:58
George James (GBR) 2:10:10
Liam Boudin (AUS) 2:10:28
Jake Smith (GBR) 2:11:00
Marc Scott (GBR) 2:11:19
Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH) Debut
Yomif Kejelcha (ETH) Debut
ABOUT LONDON MARATHON
Stance: World Marathon Major (WMM)
Established: 1981 (45 years ago)
2026 Date: April 26
Event type: Road
Distance: 42km
Course records: Course records: Men: 2:01:25 (2023) by Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) and Women: 2:15:25 (2003) by (Paula Radcliffe)
CAST OF PAST CHAMPIONS
2021: Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:04:01
2022: Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:39
2023: Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) 2:01:25*
2024: Alexander Mutiso (KEN) 2:04:01
2025: Sabastian Sawe (KEN) 2:02:27
KIPLIMO AT A GLANCE
Date of birth: November 14, 2000
Major events: 5000m, 10000m, Half-Marathon, Marathon
Coach: Iacorpo Brasi, Peter Chelangat
Personal Bests: 12:40.96 (5000m), 26:33.93 (10000m), 56:42 (21km), 2:02:23 (Marathon)
Manager: Federico Rosa
Management: Rosa Associati
KIPLIMO IN 2025
Jan 10, 2026: World Cross-country (1st, 28:18)
KIPLIMO IN 2025
Oct 12, 2025: Chicago Marathon (1st, 2:02:23)
Aug 27, 2025: Buenos Aires 21K (1st, 58:29)
Apr 27, 2025: London Marathon (2nd, 2:03:37)
Feb 16, 2025: Barcelona Half-Marathon (1st, 56:42)
KIPLIMO IN 2024
Dec 31, 2024: NN San Silvestre 10K (2nd, 26:32)
Nov 17, 2024: NN Zevenheuvelenloop (1st, 40:42)
Sept 15, 2024: Copenhagen Half-Marathon (2nd, 58:09)
Aug 2, 2024: Paris Olympics, 10000m (8th, 26:46.39)
May 30, 2024: Oslo DL, 5000m (3rd, 12:40.96)
May 17, 2024: LA Grand Prix, 5000m (4th, 12:52.91)
Mar 30, 2024: World Cross-country (1st, 28:09)
Feb 10, 2024: National Cross-country (1st, 29:04)
Jan 14, 2024: Valencia 10K Ibercaja (1st, 26:48)
CHEPTEGEI AT A GLANCE
Date of birth: September 12, 1996
Major Races: Half-Marathon, Marathon
Personal Bests: 21km (59:21), 42km (2:04:59)
Coach: Addy Ruiter
International Manager: Youri Verbaas
Kit Sponsor: Nike
CHEPTEGEI IN 2025
Dec 21: Kolkata 25K (1st, 1:11:49)
Oct 19: Amsterdam Marathon (5th, 2:04:52)
Apr 27: Bengaluru 10K (1st, 27:53)
Mar 2: Tokyo Marathon (9th, 2:05:59)
CHEPTEGEI IN 2024
Oct 20: Delhi Half Marathon (1st, 59:46)
Sept 22: Dam tot Damloop (2nd, 45:18)
Aug 2: Paris Olympics 10000m Final (1st, 26:43.14)
May 30: Bislett Games 5000m (9th, 12:51.94)
May 17: LA Grand Prix 5000m (3rd, 12:52.38)
Mar 30: World X-Country (6th, 28:24)
Mar 16: Laredo 10K (2nd, 25:53)
CHEPTEGEI IN 2023
Dec 3: Valencia Marathon (37th, 2:08:59)
Aug 20: Budapest Worlds 10000m Final (1st, 27:51.42)
June 30: Lausanne DL (2nd, 12:41.61)
Jun 2: Florence DL (4th, 12:53.81)
Mar 19: New York Half-Marathon (2nd, 1:02:09)
Feb 18: World X-Country (3rd, 29:37)
FASTEST MARATHONERS – BEST TIME
2:00:35 by Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) at Chicago Marathon on Oct 8, 2023
2:01:09 by Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) at Berlin Marathon on Sep 22, 2022
2:01:41 by Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) at Berlin Marathon on Sept 29, 2019
2:01:48 by Sisay Lemma (ETH) at Valencia Marathon on Dec 3, 2023
2:02:05 by Sabastian Sawe (KEN) at Valencia Marathon on Dec 1, 2024
2:02:16 by Benson Kipruto (KEN) at Tokyo Marathon on Mar 3, 2024
2:02:23 by Jacob Kiplimo (UGA) at Chicago Marathon on Oct 12, 2025