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(21-Aug) -- In the midst of the worst global pandemic in over 100 years, there will be a spectacular elite marathon in London on Sunday, October 4. Organizers of the rescheduled Virgin Money London Marathon are pulling out all the stops for the 40th running of their event which will be held in the confines of St. James's Park with easily the best and deepest elite field of any road race in the world this year.

Event director Hugh Brasher was able to preserve the all-important match-up of Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya and Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia as the headline act in the men's race, but the competition also has a deep supporting cast of six additional men who have career-best times under 2:05: Mosinet Geremew (ETH) 2:02:55, Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:11, Mule Wasihun (ETH) 2:03:16, Tamirat Tola (ETH) 2:04:06, Shure Kitata (ETH) 2:04:49, and Sisay Lemma (ETH) 2:03:36. There are also a bevy of top Europeans and Americans, including Sondre Nordstad Moen of Norway, Dani Meucci of Italy, Jared Ward of the USA, Chris Thompson of Great Britain, and Arne Gabius of Germany. Mo Farah will not be racing, but will act as a special pacemaker to assist British men achieve the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying standard of 2:11:30.

The women's race is just as compelling, led by world record holder Bridget Kosgei of Kenya who is also the race's defending champion. Ruth Chepngetich, the reigning world champion from Kenya, is also in the field as is her compatriot, Olympic 5000m gold medalist Vivian Cheruiyot. The Ethiopian charge is led by Roza Dereje (2:18:20 PB), Degitu Azimeraw (2:19:26) and Ashete Bekere (2:20:14). Other top women include Kenya's Valary Jemeli, Australia's Sinead Diver, USA's Sara Hall, Britain's Steph Twell, and South Africa's Gerda Steyn.

The iconic event is part of the Abbott World Marathon Majors and is a World Athletics Platinum Label Road Race. It will be the first race of The Majors to be held since Tokyo on March 1, which was also held as an elite-only race. The other events of The Majors which were scheduled for this year --Boston Marathon, Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and TCS New York City Marathon-- have been cancelled due to the pandemic, although those events have offered a virtual race option so runners can compete safely at home.

Here are the full elite fields with personal best times:

MEN -

Eliud Kipchoge, KEN, 2:01:39 WR

Kenenisa Bekele, ETH, 2:01:41

Mosinet Geremew, ETH, 2:02:55

Mule Wasihun, ETH, 2:03:16

Sisay Lemma, ETH, 2:03:36

Tamirat Tola, ETH, 2:04:06

Marius Kipserem, KEN, 2:04:11

Shura Kitata, ETH, 2:04:49

Vincent Kipchumba, KEN, 2:05:09

Sondre Nordstad Moen, NOR, 2:05:48

Gideon Kipketer, KEN, 2:05:51

Polat Kemboi Arikan, TUR, 2:08:14

Arne Gabius, GER, 2:08:33

Jared Ward, USA, 2:09:25

Jonny Mellor, GBR, 2:10:03

Elroy Gelant, RSA, 2:10:31

Daniele Meucci, ITA, 2:10:45

Brett Robinson, AUS, 2:10:55

Juan Luis Barrios, MEX, 2:10:55

Peter Herzog, AUT, 2:10:57

Jack Rayner, AUS, 2:11:06

Chris Thompson, GBR, 2:11:19

Stephen Scullion, IRL, 2:11:52

Remigijus Kancys, LTU, 2:12:50

Florian Carvalho, FRA, 2:12:53

Tristan Woodfine, CAN, 2:13:16

Michael Clohisey, IRL, 2:13:19

Charlie Hulson, GBR, 2:14:22

Joshua Griffiths, GBR, 2:14:25

Nick Earl, GBR, 2:14:38

Julian Spence, AUS, 2:14:42

Justin Mahieu, BEL, 2:14:43

Nicholas Torry, GBR, 2:15:04

Peter Le Grice, GBR, 2:16:22

Andreas Myhre Sjurseth, NOR, 2:16:37

Paul Marteletti, GBR, 2:16:49

Adam Hickey, GBR, 2:16:56

Aaron Scott, GBR, 2:16:57

Paul Navesey, GBR, 2:17:16

Dan Nash, GBR, 2:18:51

Ollie Lockley, GBR, 2:25:28

Josh Lunn, GBR, Debut

Ben Connor, GBR, Debut

Ross Millington, GBR, Debut

Jack Gray, GBR, Debut

WOMEN -

Brigid Kosgei, KEN, 2:14:04 WR

Ruth Chepngetich, KEN, 2:17:08

Roza Dereje, ETH, 2:18:30

Vivian Cheruiyot, KEN, 2:18:31

Valary Jemeli, KEN, 2:19:10

Degitu Azimeraw, ETH, 2:19:26

Ashete Bekere, ETH, 2:20:14

Alemu Megertu, ETH, 2:21:10

Sara Hall, USA, 2:22:16

Sinead Diver (40+), AUS, 2:24:11

Carla Salome Rocha, POR, 2:24:47

Ellie Pashley, AUS, 2:26:21

Sara Caterina Ribeiro, POR, 2:26:39

Steph Twell, GBR, 2:26:40

Anna Hahner, GER, 2:26:44

Molly Seidel, USA, 2:27:31

Gerda Steyn, RSA, 2:27:48

Darya Mykhaylova, UKR, 2:28:15

Lisa Hahner, GER, 2:28:39

Lily Partridge, GBR, 2:29:24

Tracy Barlow, GBR, 2:30:42

Natasha Cockram, GBR, 2:30:49

Risper Gesabwa, MEX, 2:30:59

Tish Jones, GBR, 2:31:00

Monika Bytautiene, LTU, 2:32:28

Helen Davies, GBR, 2:34:06

Naomi Mitchell, GBR, 2:37:51

Edith Chelimo, KEN, Debut