Marathon fans received disappointing news ahead of the 2025 TCS London Marathon: Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele has withdrawn from the race, citing ongoing injury troubles that have disrupted his training.
Bekele, 41, issued a statement expressing his regret: “I am very disappointed. I was very much looking forward to returning to the TCS London Marathon on Sunday, especially after how well I ran there last year. But a series of small niggles have prevented me from getting in the training block I require to be at my best and I have had to make the difficult decision to withdraw. I wish everyone who is running the very best of luck.”
The news hits hard for fans who had been hoping to see a continuation of the form Bekele showed in London just last year, where he finished a strong second.
It felt like a renaissance moment — a flash of the old dominance from the man many regard as the greatest distance runner of all time. And now, with just days to go before the 2025 race, hopes are dashed again.
Bekele’s marathon career has often been a story of “what if?”
A three-time Olympic champion, 17-time World Champion on track and cross-country, and the third-fastest man in marathon history — his 2:01:41 run at the 2019 Berlin Marathon was just two seconds shy of the then-world record.
His ceiling has always seemed limitless. But since moving up to the marathon, Bekele has wrestled with a cruel cycle of injuries and missed opportunities. Hamstring and Achilles issues have plagued him for much of the last decade, forcing several high-profile withdrawals.
Still, whenever he has lined up healthy, Bekele has been electric. His near-record in Berlin remains one of the most breathtaking performances the marathon has ever seen, even if his attempts to build momentum after that race were stymied by injuries.
Last year’s London performance had many thinking — hoping — that maybe, just maybe, he was finding a second wind late in his career.
His absence leaves a noticeable hole in the 2025 men’s elite field, which still boasts plenty of firepower.
Marathon GOAT Eliud Kipchoge, Olympic champion Tamirat Tola, and rising star Alexander Mutiso are all set to clash. It’ll be a great race.
But it would’ve been even better with Bekele in the mix. His blend of tactical intelligence, patience, and finishing speed, honed over years of dominance on the track and cross-country, is simply unmatched.
It’s also a reminder that even the most brilliant careers are at the mercy of the body.
Bekele’s 5,000m and 10,000m world records stood for more than 15 years before Joshua Cheptegei finally broke them in 2020.
No one questioned that Bekele’s peak was one of the highest the sport has ever seen. But in the marathon, longevity matters. Consistency matters. And injuries, sadly, have robbed Bekele of the chance to match his marathon career to his historic track greatness.
Whether or not we see Bekele return to racing again, his place in running history is secure. He’s already given fans more than enough to marvel at — and maybe, just maybe, there’s still one last comeback left in him.
