2014 Virgin London Marathon fact-file

This year’s Virgin London Marathon has been dubbed as the race of the century in the marathon world and, with a stellar men’s and women’s line-up, who can argue?

Both fields are littered with Olympic and world champions, world record holders and reigning victors, but who will come out on top this weekend?

Each individual boasts impressive achievements that speak for themselves, put all those people in the same race, though, and you have a mouth-watering encounter guaranteed.

MEN

Wilson Kipsang

-Country: Kenya, age: 32
-Current world record holder with a best of 2:03:23
-Bronze medallist over 26.2 miles at the 2012 London Olympics
-Believes setting another world record is possible on Sunday
-He is the only man with two sub-2:04 clockings
-Finished fifth in the 2013 London marathon with 2:07:47
–William Hill odds: 2/1

Emmanuel Mutai

-Country: Kenya, age: 29
-Holds the course record of 2:04:40, set in 2011
-Personal best of 2:03:52
-Finished second last year to Tsegaye Kebede
-William Hill odds: 11/1 

Geoffrey Mutai 

-Country: Kenya, age: 32
-Reigning New York marathon champion
-Personal best of 2:04:15
-Dropped out of London last year on his debut
-William Hill odds: 5/1

Tsegaye Kebede

-Country: Ethiopia, age: 27
-Reigning London marathon winner (2:06:04 last year)
-Personal best of 2:04:38, set in 2012 at the Chicago marathon
-William Hill odds: 4/1

Stephen Kiprotich

-Country: Uganda, age: 25
-Reigning world and Olympic champion
-Finished sixth, in 2:08:05, in London last year
-Personal best of 2:07:20
-William Hill odds: 12/1

Mo Farah

-Country: England, age: 31
-Reining world and Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 metre champion
-Making his marathon debut on Sunday
-Set his half marathon best, 1:00:59, in 2013
-Finished second, behind Geoffrey Mutai, in the New York City half marathon last month
-Aiming for Steve Jones’ long-standing British record of 2:07:13 on Sunday
-William Hill odds: 7/1

WOMEN

Tiki Gelana

-Country: Ethiopia, age: 26
-Reigning Olympic champion over 26.2 miles
-Personal best of 2:18:58
-Fastest woman in the field
–William Hill odds: 4/1

Florence Kiplagat

-Country: Kenya, age: 27
-Won the 2013 Berlin marathon in 2:21:13
-Personal best of 2:19:44
-Finished sixth last year in 2:27:05
-William Hill odds: 4/1

Edna Kiplagat

-Country: Kenya, age: 34
-Reigning world champion
-Personal best of 2:19:50
-Finished second last year, over a minute behind compatriot Priscah Jeptoo
-William Hill odds: 9/2

Priscah Jeptoo

-Country: Kenya, age: 29
-Won the title last year with a personal best time of 2:20:15
-2012 London Olympic silver medallist in the marathon
-Willian Hill odds: 9/4

Aberu Kebede

-Country: Ethiopia, age: 24
-Two-time Berlin marathon winner
-2012 Tokyo marathon victor
-Personal best of 2:20:30
-William Hill odds: 10/1

Tirunesh Dibaba

-Country: Ethiopia, age: 28
-Making her marathon debut on Sunday
-Reigning world and Olympic 10,000 metre champion
-Clocked 1:06:56 in her half-marathon debut at the 2013 Great North Run
-William Hill odds: 4/1