Olympic champion Hassan pulls out of London Marathon with Achilles injury

March 23 : Dutch Olympic champion Sifan Hassan has withdrawn from the London Marathon due to an Achilles injury, race organisers said on Monday.

The 2023 winner, who suffered the injury during a training session six weeks ago, decided to pull out following a gruelling 2025 season in which she ran several major marathons.

"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," Hassan said. "To compete at this level, you need to be in perfect condition. I have to listen to my body and focus on recovering properly."

Hassan, 33, is among the most decorated distance runners in history, holding three Olympic gold medals. At the Paris 2024 Olympics she won the marathon in an Olympic record time, adding to her 5,000 and 10,000-metre titles from Tokyo.