The Virgin Money London Marathon confirmed the full fields for the historic elite men’s and women’s races, scheduled to take place on Sunday 4^th October.

The elite men’s race – headlined by the greatest marathon runners in history, Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele and Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge, will include eight athletes who have run sub 2:05 marathons, including Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun, also from Ethiopia, who were second and third respectively at the 2019 Virgin Money London Marathon.

Other Ethiopians joining the stellar men’s line up include Sisay Lemma, Tamirat Tola and Shura Kitata.

The news that World Athletics will lift its suspension of the Olympic qualification system for marathon races from 1^stSeptember means there will also be a clutch of athletes racing with the ambition to achieve the Olympic standard of 2:11:30.

Four-time British Olympic champion, Sir Mo Farah is set to be a pacemaker.

The elite women’s field is headlined by Kenya’s world record holder Brigid Kosgei.

From Ethiopia, 2019 Valencia Marathon champion Roza Dereje and 2019 Amsterdam Marathon champion Degitu Azimeraw, who have both run inside 2:20, will be joined by Ashete Bekere, the winner of last year’s BMW Berlin Marathon, and Alemu Megertu, the 2019 Rome Marathon champion.

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, the elite races at the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon will be held on a closed-loop circuit around St James’s Park in central London with the iconic finish on The Mall remaining the same as in previous years.

The races will be held in a secure biosphere as has been the case with other major sporting events. No spectators will be allowed on the road-side to watch. BBC Sport, however, is planning eight hours of live coverage of the event.

It will be the 40^th Race in London Marathon history and the first to have elite-only races.

Those with a place in the mass-participation 2020 event will still have the chance to take part in the 40^th Race by running the famous 26.2 mile marathon distance from home or anywhere in the world on the course of their choice.