Obiri credits fellow Kenyan marathoner for motivation ahead of London Marathon debut
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Reading Time: 3min | Sat. 25.04.26. | 11:54
Aside from the 2024 Olympics, where Obiri earned bronze, all seven of her other marathons have been in the US
Former Boston and New York City Marathon champion Helen Obiri is lining up for her first London Marathon race in Sunday 26 April, hoping to continue her winning streak in the World Marathon Majors.
Aside from the 2024 Olympics, where Obiri earned bronze, all seven of her other marathons have been in the US. She has won twice in Boston (2023 and 2024) and in New York (2023 and 2025), smashing the course record with 2:19:51 with her latest victory.
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Obiri who went back-to-back in Boston before relegating the title to compatriot Sharon Lokedi, settling for second last year and missing last week's action in the American race says she is motivated by her fellow compatriot to chase the London title, which is a different challenge for the former World Champion.
"Watching Lokedi win in Boston last weekend has added to my motivation for Sunday's race. I didn't get to travel to London ahead of time to check out the course, but my coach has raced here and has made sure that I get the training right. It is a different course from Boston and New York Marathons that I have competed in before, but I am excited to take on such a loaded field and a different challenge," Obiri said ahead of the race.
"I have had good preparations and I'm happy to be healthy and ready to face a new course," she added. "Unlike my other Marathons, this is a women's only event, and it is exciting to have strong competitors to compete with here."
Following the withdrawal of 2020 Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, Obiri is joined on the elite startline by two other Kenyans Joyciline Jepkosgei and Catherine Reline.
Jepkosgei, the 2021 London Marathon winner, who finished second here last year, went on to win the Valencia Marathon in December in a world-leading personal best (PB) of 2:14:00, beating Jepchirchir in the process. The 2019 New York Marathon champion is a former world record-holder at the half marathon.
The Kenyan contingent is facing a herculean task from defending champion Tigst Assefa, who won last year in a women-only world record of 2:15:50. The Ethiopian is a proven competitor in big races, having chalked up two wins in Berlin and earned world and Olympic silver medals.
“Winning last year’s London Marathon and setting a women-only world record was one of the proudest moments of my career, and I want to repeat that again this year,” said Assefa, whose PB of 2:11:53, set in Berlin in 2023, was a world record in a mixed race at the time.
Assefa has finished in the top two in her past six marathons. In fact, only two women have beaten her over the marathon distance in the past four years: Olympic champions Sifan Hassan and Jepchirchir, both originally due to compete in London, but they recently withdrew due to injury.
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Leading Entries
Women
Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:11:53
Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) 2:14:00
Hellen Obiri (KEN) 2:17:41
Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 2:17:58
Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:02
Catherine Reline Amanangole (KEN) 2:20:34
Balemelay Shumet (ETH) 2:21:59
Rose Harvey (GBR) 2:23:21
Eilish McColgan (GBR) 2:24:25
Jessica Warner-Judd (GBR) 2:24:45
Marta Galimany (ESP) 2:26:14
Julia Paternain (URU) 2:27:09