Peres Jepchirchir pulls out
World champion Peres Jepchirchir withdrew from the 2026 London Marathon this week because of an unspecified stress fracture, according to BBC Sport (bbc.co.uk). The withdrawal was reported as a major elite-field development ahead of this month’s race (bbc.co.uk).
Peres Jepchirchir will not run the London Marathon on April 26 after a stress fracture disrupted her buildup for the race, organisers said Tuesday. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) The Kenyan won the 2024 London Marathon in a women-only world record 2:16:16, and she arrived this season as the reigning world marathon champion after beating Tigst Assefa for gold in Tokyo in September 2025. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) (worldathletics.org) London Marathon Events announced the women’s elite field on January 28 with Jepchirchir, defending champion Assefa and Olympic champion Sifan Hassan billed as the headline matchup for Sunday, April 26, 2026. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk 1) (londonmarathonevents.co.uk 2) That race has changed twice in three weeks. Hassan withdrew earlier in April because of an Achilles issue, leaving Assefa without two of the three biggest names first advertised for the women’s start line. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk 1) (londonmarathonevents.co.uk 2) Jepchirchir’s absence matters in London because she has won the race before and because her championship résumé spans the Olympics, the world championships and the half marathon. World Athletics lists her as the Tokyo Olympic marathon champion and a three-time world half marathon champion. (worldathletics.org 1) (worldathletics.org 2) Her recent form also suggested she would be central to the race if healthy. World Athletics shows she ran a personal best 2:14:43 in Valencia on December 7, 2025, a mark that moved her among the fastest women in marathon history. (worldathletics.org) London remains one of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and one of the sport’s most watched spring races, with the 2026 edition set for Greenwich and Blackheath to The Mall on April 26. The women’s field still includes Assefa, the defending champion and women-only world record holder at 2:15:50. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) (worldathletics.org) For Jepchirchir, the immediate change is simple: the defending 2024 winner is out, and the London rematch that was announced in January will not happen this month. (londonmarathonevents.co.uk) (bbc.co.uk)
