Spring Spirit

For fans of distance running, April means one thing: marathons. From Boston to London, Hamburg to Paris, they're about to arrive thick and fast, with some of the sport's heavyweights set to clash at the ultimate distance. Here's your ultimate guide to what's happening, where. 

Bekele gunning to be the greatest in London

In the debate about the best distance runner in history, there seems no right answer, such are the varied accomplishments of the chief contenders spanning the different generations. Nurmi, Zatopek, Viren, Gebrselassie, Bekele – the argument goes on ad infinitum, each person staking a reasonable claim to the throne.

However, if Kenenisa Bekele takes victory at the London Marathon on April, and makes good on his promise to eventually break the world record, then the debate should end there and then.

Because such is the depth and breadth of Bekele’s accomplishments – three Olympics golds, five world track titles, 11 world cross country titles and the existing world records for 5000m and 10,000m – that ascending to the throne in the marathon should see him crowned the undisputed king.

Last year, Bekele finished third in London in 2:06:36, which wasn’t deemed enough for Olympic selection by Ethiopian selectors. Fuelled by the fire of missing out, he showed them what they were missing in Berlin, running 2:03:03 to beat Wilson Kipsang and miss the world record by just six seconds.

In Dubai earlier this year, an early fall put paid to his world record attempt, but Bekele is in confident form ahead of his return to London, where he will square off with Kenya’s Stanley Biwott, who was second last year in 2:03:51.

“London is the greatest marathon in the world and I would love to win there,” said Bekele. “After finishing third last year, I know what I need to do to win.”

The women’s race feature perhaps the strongest line-up ever assembled for a marathon, with two-time champion Mary Keitany taking on Olympic bronze medallist Mare Dibaba, Chicago champion Florence Kiplagat and Olympic 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot.

Keitany can lay claim to top billing, courtesy of her PB of 2:18:37. Though she is now 35 and undoubtedly entering the autumn of her glittering career, she proved she is quicker than ever when running 65:13 to finish second at the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon in February.

An intriguing entrant is Ethiopia’s Tirunesh Dibaba, who ruled the 10,000m for the best part of a decade, but has yet to transfer her outstanding ability to the marathon. Dibaba made a promising debut in London three years ago, then returned to the 10,000m, where she took a bronze medal at the Olympic Games last year. Though she was well beaten into fifth at the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon in February, running 66:50, the baby-faced destroyer is too big a talent to write off in any race.

Who can handle the heartbreak in Boston?

There’s nowhere quite like Boston, at least not when it comes to logging 26.2 miles. The point-to-point course winds its way from Hopkinton to downtown Boston over rolling hills before finishing up on Boylston Street, where the world’s most enthusiastic supporters come out in their thousands to roar their support for the weary runners. 

As the saying goes, the marathon only starts at 20 miles, and that, coincidentally, is when runners in Boston will crest the ascent known as Heartbreak Hill. After they coast down the other side, who will make the decisive, race-winning move come 17th April?

The men’s field is loaded, featuring four 2:04 men, one 2:03 man… oh, and a 2:02 guy.

That, of course, is world record holder Dennis Kimetto, who will try to fend off fellow Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai (the 2:03 man) and a host of other East African talent.

The home charge is headed by Galen Rupp, the Olympic marathon bronze medallist, who will look to give the US their first win in the race since Meb Keflezighi in 2014. 

The women’s field is headed by Kenyans Edna Kiplagat and Gladys Cherono, who have both run below 2:20 at their peak. New York-based Ethiopian Buzunesh Deba will be hoping to emulate her victory in 2014, where she set the course record of 2:19:59.

While Shalane Flanagan has had to withdraw with injury, hopes are still high for the home fans with Desiree Linden entered again and Jordan Hasay – who clocked a swift 67:56 half marathon in Prague last weekend – set to make her marathon debut.

Dutch courage in Rotterdam

Michel Butter of the Netherlands will hope to dip below the 2:10 barrier again when he goes to the line in Sunday's (9th April) race, though Kenya's Lucas Rotich will prove a formidable opponent, having taken second on his most recent outing at the New York City Marathon last November. His compatriots Marius Kimutai and Laban Korir, along with Ethiopia's Abera Kuma, who have all run below 2:06, are likely to provide the strongest opposition.

Lucy Karimi of Kenya tops the field in the women's race, where she will face off against former compatriot Eunice Chumba, now running for Bahrain. Ethiopia's Meskerem Assefa should make it a three-way tussle for the win, while Ruth van der Meijden is the leading Dutch entrant. 

Olympic champions hungry for more in Hamburg

Both 2012 Olympic champions will take to the streets in Hamburg on 23rd April, with Tiki Gelana of Ethiopia and Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda hoping to prove that their present – and not just their past – is paved with gold.

Gelana, who has a best of 2:18:58, heads the women’s field, but will face strong competition from Portugal’s Jessica Augusto and Kenya’s Viola Kibiwott. Fresh from running on home turf in the IAAF World Cross Country Champs in recent weeks, Kiprotich takes top billing in the men’s race, but he will have it all to do to defeat Ethiopians Tsegaye Mekonnen (a 2:04:32 man), Tsegaye Kebede (a former champion in London and Chicago) and Tadesse Tola (who has run 2:04:49).

Jepkesho loves Paris in the springtime

Kenya's Visiline Jepkesho is back in Paris this weekend attempting to successfully defend the title she won last year. The 29-year-old finished third in the French capital in 2015 in 2:24:44, then climbed to the top step of the podium last year, winning in 2:25:53. However, she will have to contend with compatriots Flomena Cheyech, Agnes Barsosio and Purity Rionoripo. 

The men's race is headed by 2:05 man Stephen Chebogut, though the Kenyan will have plenty of company throughout the race in the shape of countrymen Mark Kiptoo, Gilbert Yegon and Samuel Kosgei. Ethiopia's Abayneh Ayele, meanwhile, will be hoping to get one over on their East African rivals. 

The Italian Job: Kipchoge to chase sub-two

He couldn’t, could he?

After winning Olympic gold last year in Rio, added to his commanding victory in London in 2:03:05, there seems little doubt that Eliud Kipchoge is the world’s best marathoner at the moment. But the Kenyan has chosen to bypass offers from the big-city marathons this spring to try accomplish something... er, different – a sub-two hour marathon.

Along with Zersenay Tadese and Lelisa Desisa, Kipchoge was selected by his sponsors, Nike, for the attempt, which is set to take place in early May at a formula one racing track in Monza, Italy.

In early March, the trio attempted an unofficial half marathon trial on the course, and after running behind a wall of pacemakers for much of the run – arranged specifically in a flying V formation – he cruised his way to a time of 59:17.

Afterwards, a reporter from Runner’s World asked Kipchoge how difficult the effort had been. “Sixty percent,” he said casually. “It was part of my training.”

While the race is unlikely to be much of a contest – with Kipchoge the standout athlete – it may yet produce something special, but not a record-eligible time.

Either way, it’s certainly a very different kind of spring marathon, a time trial more than a race, but even allowing for that, we still won’t be able to look away.