Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum, the Valencia Marathon champion and fastest marathon debutant in history (2:01:53), will be competing against Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, the second-fastest marathoner with a life time best of 2:01:41.
In addition, defending champion Amos Kipruto, will join the duo in a quest of defending his title.
Kipruto’s win at last year’s TCS London Marathon was the biggest victory of his career and his first Abbott World Marathon Major triumph. He also was second at last year’s Tokyo Marathon behind world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and third in the 2019 World Championships.
Kiptum and Kipruto will be joined by three-time World Cross-country champion and two-time New York City marathon champion Geoffrey Kamworor and 2019 Vienna City Marathon champion Vincent Kipchumba.
The Kenyan quartet will be competing against the crème de la crème of the marathon including World marathon champion Tamirat Tola from Ethiopia.
Tola will be one of several men aiming to prevent Kipruto from winning back-to-back titles. He won the 2021 Amsterdam Marathon and finished third at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon (behind Kipchoge and Kipruto) before winning his world title last summer.
Ethiopian duo of Birhanu Legese (PB 2:02:48) and Mosinet Geremew (PB 2:02:55) will also be in the field aiming for top honours.
Australia’s Brett Robinson returns to London after finishing eighth last year with an aim of improving his position. Another man to watch is 2018 Boston Marathon champion Yuki Kawauchi of Japan, who is also making his London Marathon debut.
Among the many British athletes competing in the 2023 London Marathon elite men's race are Sir Mo Farah and Emile Cairess and the duo is poised to make waves on the streets of the capital.