Sifan Hassan has built a reputation for delivering on the biggest stages, from her historic Olympic triple in Tokyo to her repeat of the feat in Paris. The 33-year-old has also carried that form into the marathon scene, finishing inside the top six in her last three outings, including a win at the 2025 Sydney Marathon. But with the London Marathon approaching, Hassan has now faced an untimely setback.

The Dutch/Ethiopian long-distance runner announced on social media that she has officially withdrawn from the 2026 London Marathon. This is because of an ongoing Achilles injury that Hassan hoped she’d recover from in time for the marathon, but fate hasn’t been on her side.

“This has been a very tough decision to make. I love racing the TCS London Marathon; it is where I won my first-ever marathon, and I have so many special memories there,” Hassan said as per Chris Chavez. “But it is also the highest-quality marathon on the planet, and to compete at that level, you need to be in perfect condition.

“After the incident, I hoped the injury would settle, but as training progressed it became clear that I wasn’t able to prepare at the level I expect from myself. I have to listen to my body and focus on recovering properly. I look forward to returning to race in London again on plenty more occasions in the future.”

The 33-year-old suffered the injury nearly six weeks ago while training on the treadmill and has been sidelined since then. She had hoped to have recovered in time to participate in the London Marathon by April, but the situation hasn’t changed. Instead, as her marathon preparations intensified, Sisfan Hassan found herself still struggling, and the injury was hampering her training.

The three-time Olympic gold medalist made her marathon debut in 2023, winning it on her first attempt. She then finished 4th in the 2024 Tokyo Marathon, won the Olympic marathon gold at the Paris Games, and finished third in the 2025 London Marathon. Sifan Hassan lost out to eventual winner Tigist Assefa, who came in first with a women’s-only record-breaking time.

Tigst Assefa looking to repeat her record-breaking London Marathon win

And now, Assefa is looking to repeat that. However, it’ll be far from easy as while Sifan Hassan has withdrawn, three of the six fastest women in history will still be participating. The reigning champion is one of those alongside Joyciline Jepkosgei and Peres Jepchirchir. Hassan’s participation would have added to that, but Assefa is confident that she can come out ahead.

“Winning last year’s London Marathon and setting a women-only world record was one of the proudest moments of my career, and I want to repeat that again this year,” Assefa said as per BBC.

“To do that I know I will have to beat great champions like Peres and Sifan. They have been tough competitors for me and we have had some great battles. I hope that this year I can come out on top.”

However, those three won’t be her only competition, as Uruguay’s Julia Paternain will also be participating. She shocked the world with her performance at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, finishing third to win an unexpected bronze medal. Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich won’t be a part of the pack, however, as she has been banned for three years from the sport after admitting to anti-doping violations.

But only time will tell whether Tigst Assefa retains her title when the 2026 London Marathon kicks off on 26 April, or if someone else shocks the world as Sifan Hassan did in 2023. What’s your take on this?