Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo says he is better prepared for this year’s London Marathon and is ready for a fierce battle with defending champion Sabastian Sawe on Sunday.
Kiplimo, who finished second behind Sawe in last year’s race in 2:03:37 on his marathon debut, said he has stepped up his preparations after a strong build-up to this year’s event.
Asked whether he can beat the Kenyan favourite, Kiplimo said he has increased his mileage and feels in much better shape compared with 2025.
“We will see on Sunday,” Kiplimo said. “But I know we are going to battle together.”
The Ugandan heads into the race in red-hot form after smashing the half marathon world record last month with a stunning time of 57 minutes and 20 seconds, underlining his credentials as one of the strongest challengers in the elite men’s field.
Before Friday’s press conference, Kiplimo and Sawe staged a boxing-style face-off as cameras flashed, adding more intrigue to what is shaping up to be one of the standout contests of the race.
Sawe, who won last year’s London Marathon and is being tipped to challenge the world record, remains one of the favourites. The Kenyan believes he is in similar condition to when he targeted the record in Berlin last year before hot weather disrupted his run.
The men’s world marathon record of 2:00:35 was set by late Kenyan star Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
Kiplimo will also face stiff competition from Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and Yomif Kejelcha, who is making his marathon debut.
