The second-fastest marathoner in history Kenenisa Bekele has withdrawn from Sunday’s London Marathon with a calf injury.
Bekele’s absence means his highly-anticipated clash with world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge, whose mark he came with two seconds of in Berlin last year, is off.
"I am very disappointed," said Bekele. "I picked up a niggle in my left calf after two fast training sessions too close together. I truly believed I would be ready but today it is worse and I now know I cannot race on it.
"This race was so important to me. My time in Berlin last year gave me great confidence and motivation.
"I am sorry to disappoint my fans, the organisers and my fellow competitors."
A three-time Olympic champion on the track, Bekele is considered one of the greatest distance runners of all-time.
The Ethiopian has spent much of his marathon career in the shadow of Kipchoge, but his stunning run of 2:01:41 to take victory in Berlin last year raised the genuine possibility of him challenging the Kenyan’s dominance in London this year.
Kipchoge became the first man in history to run a marathon in under two hours when clocking 1:59:40 in Vienna last year, but that mark is not eligible to stand as a world record.
Both had been due to race in the original London Marathon in April and there was genuine excitement in the running community when the pair committed to running the re-arranged event, which will take place at St. James’ Park with no spectators present this weekend.
