The 2024 London Marathon champion Alexander Munyao says he is not under pressure as he prepares to defend his crown against a star-studded field in the British capital on April 27.
Last year, Munyao made headlines after claiming the London title with a time of 2:04:01.
The 28-year-old not only recorded his first major marathon win but also stunned two-time Olympic 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele who placed second in 2:04:15.
Bekele was aiming for his first win in London following a third-place finish in 2016 ( 2:06:36 ) and a second-place finish the following year ( 2:05:57 ).
Britain’s Emile Cairess rounded out the podium last year, clocking 2:06:46.
Despite the weight of expectation, the 28-year-old Kenyan insists he is unfazed.
“I am not under pressure heading into the London Marathon. Of course, all eyes will be on me and all the athletes in the field will be gunning for the title, but I believe composure will work in my favour as I seek to retain my crown,” Munyao stated.
Munyao added that mental resilience would be key come April, emphasising the importance of a strong mindset.
“Mentally, I am well prepared. As an athlete, you must have a strong mentality especially when heading into such intense competitions. Overthinking may lead to failure. I am ready to defend my title,” he added.
The 2023 Prague Marathon champion said his training is focused more on speed and endurance.
“I started training in late December 2024 and I have been doing a total of 180km weekly. My main area of focus is getting my speed right and improving on endurance,” he stated.
He revealed that he will apply the same tactics he used during his triumph last year while adding that he will be prepared for any changes in the weather.
“Last year, the weather was not so pleasant. It was windy and very cold… but then again you cannot plan how the weather will be. This year, I will be prepared to tackle it,” he noted.
Last year, Munyao and Bekele were in a two-way fight for the win until he made his move as they ran along the River Thames ( 20km), quickly building a six-second gap that only grew as he ran toward the finish.
Munyao is hoping to lower his 2:03:11 personal best from his second-place finish in Valencia 2023, targeting a 2:02 finish.
“I want to lower my personal best and clock a 2:02. However, my focus will not be so much on time as claiming victory,” he added.
His road to victory, however, will not be easy as he will have to see off Olympic Marathon champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia and Sabastian Sawe who made a historic Marathon debut in Valencia last year.
Other top names include 2020 Olympic silver medallist Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, 2024 Berlin Marathon champion Melkisa Mengesha of Ethiopia and 2024 Tokyo Marathon runners-up Timothy Kiplagat.
To fine-tune his form, Munyao plans to compete in the Kagawa Half Marathon in Japan on February 2.
“I
have a half marathon race in Japan on
February 2 which I will use to build
up for London,” he stated.
