His speed over the half marathon gives the move its intrigue, but Kiplimo’s marathon career feels less like a reinvention than a progression. He has arrived with track medals, cross-country titles and half-marathon records behind him, trying to stretch those qualities across a distance that still asks new questions.
His first answer came in London.
“For me, the first (aim) was just to cross the finish line,” Kiplimo said. “I did that last year here. My second was to prove to the world that maybe I can run well, and in Chicago I proved I can run a marathon.”
That Chicago victory changed the context around his return. Kiplimo is no longer a debutant testing how his speed and strength might translate, but a genuine contender who has won one of the sport’s biggest races.
But he also knows that experience over the marathon still has to be earned one race at a time.
“Shifting to the marathon, it’s a lot of mileage,” he said. “You need to prepare yourself well and build up your endurance. It’s not easy. It’s a tough challenge and you need to work hard.”
That challenge will be sharpened by the field waiting for him in London. Sawe returns as defending champion after beating Kiplimo here last year, while Tamirat Tola, the Paris 2024 Olympic marathon champion; fellow Ugandan Joshua Cheptegei, the Paris 2024 10,000m gold medallist; Ethiopia’s 2025 world 10,000m silver medallist Yomif Kejelcha; and former London winner Amos Kipruto are also among those expected to test the race from the front.