Olympic champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn from the TCS London Marathon on April 26 after suffering an Achilles injury in an “unfortunate incident” on a treadmill during training.
The 2023 London champion and reigning Olympic marathon gold medallist had been among the favourites for this year’s race. Hassan, who became the first woman to win Olympic golds over 5,000m, 10,000m and the marathon, picked up the injury while running on a treadmill last month.
Initially thought to be minor, the Achilles problem persisted as her preparations continued. Hassan has decided to pull out of the race to avoid worsening the injury and to prioritise her long-term health.
“This has been a very tough decision to make,” Hassan said. “I love racing the TCS London Marathon – it is where I won my first-ever marathon and I have so many special memories there. But it is also the highest-quality marathon on the planet, and to compete at that level, you need to be in perfect condition. After the incident, I hoped the injury would settle, but as training progressed it became clear that I wasn’t able to prepare at the level I expect from myself. I have to listen to my body and focus on recovering properly. I look forward to returning to race in London again on plenty more occasions in the future.”
The 33-year-old has competed in multiple Abbott World Marathon Majors, including Sydney and New York, after finishing third in London in an earlier appearance.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Hassan won bronze in both the 5,000m and 10,000m — having taken gold in those events at Tokyo — and captured the marathon title in an Olympic record time of 2:22:55.
As of March 23, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa headlines the elite women’s field for London, with Kenyan runners Joyciline Jepkosgei and Peres Jepchirchir also among the expected entrants. British athletes Charlotte Purdue, Rose Harvey and Abbie Donnelly are included in the elite field, and Eilish McColgan is set to return after making her debut last year.
In the 2025 edition, Sabastian Sawe won the men’s race in 2:02:27, while Tigst Assefa claimed the women’s title in 2:15:50.