London Marathon 2026: Olympic champion Sifan Hassan withdraws after injury

Olympic champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn from the London Marathon scheduled for next April due to an Achilles tendon injury.

The Dutch runner, who won the gold medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics in a record time for the Games, suffered the injury while training on a treadmill six weeks ago.

She had hoped to recover in time for the race in London but accepted defeat.

“To compete at this level, you have to be in excellent condition,” said Hassan, winner of the 2023 London Marathon for women.

“After the accident, I was hoping the injury would subside, but as training progressed it became clear that I was not able to prepare to the level I expected of myself.

“I have to listen to my body and focus on recovering properly.”

Hassan (33 years old) is considered one of the most decorated long-distance runners in history, as he also won gold medals in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter races at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

With her subsequent success in 2024, the Ethiopian-born athlete became the first woman to win Olympic gold medals in the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon events.

The 2026 edition of the London Marathon will be held on Sunday, April 26.