MANCHESTER, England, Jan ‌28 (Reuters) - Defending champion Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia will renew her rivalry with Olympic gold ‌medallist Sifan Hassan and world champion Peres Jepchirchir when the trio line ‌up for the 2026 TCS London Marathon on April 26.

Assefa smashed the women's world record at the 2022 Berlin Marathon in clocking two hours, 11 minutes and 53 seconds, and returns to the capital where she claimed ‍her first London title last year in a women's-only ‍world record run of 2:15.50.