Elite Men
Pacers in the first group in the elite men’s field, which will include last year’s first and second-placed finishers Sabastian Sawe (KEN) and Jacob Kiplimo (UGA), will be tasked with taking them to halfway in 60:30. This schedule would put them inside the course record of 2:01:25, set by Kelvin Kiptum (KEN) in 2023, and within range of Kiptum’s world record of 2:00:35.
Among the pacemakers in this group are Oscar Chelimo (UGA), the younger brother of Jacob Kiplimo, and Andrea Kiptoo (KEN), who is a training partner of defending champion Sawe. Nibret Melak (ETH) is the third pacemaker in this lead group.
The second group – which will include Amanal Petros (GER), Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) and Geoffrey Kamworor (KEN) – will have a 61:45 halfway target, while the third group, including leading Brits Patrick Dever, Phil Sesemann and Mahamed Mahamed, will be looking to get to 13.1 miles in 63.15. Pacemakers in this group will include Britain’s Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee.
There will be three other groups with halfway targets of 64:15, 65:00 and 67:00.
Elite Women
In the women’s race, the leading trio of defending champion and women-only world record holder Tigst Assefa (ETH), Joyciline Jepkosgei (KEN) and Hellen Obiri will aim to be taken through halfway in 67:30 – inside the women-only world record set by Assefa in London last year (2:15:50). Pacemakers include Tsigie Gebreselama (ETH), Miriam Chebet (KEN) and Anchinalu Dessie (ETH).
A second group has been tasked with going through halfway in 69:00.
Alex Bell (GBR) is among the pacemakers for a third group, aiming for 70:00 at halfway. This group will include Eilish McColgan (GBR).
Brits Jess Warner-Judd and Rose Harvey will be in the fourth group on the road, looking to run between 71:30 and 72:00 at halfway.
