The women's field in Tokyo is tougher than the men's field so victory for Aga is by no means guaranteed.

Jordan Hasay and Amy Cragg will be missed but three sub-2:20 women including the 2018 Dubai and Tokyo champs are racing as are Laura Thweatt and Gwen Jorgensen.

Kimetto's record is 1:11:18 and Bekele has a best of 1:12:47. Florence Kiplagat leads the women's race.

 Tirunesh Dibaba wants to lower her 2:17:56 PR, Renato Canova says defending champs Abel Kirui & Florence Kiplagat are around "90%" of where they were last year. *American Sam Chelanga Thinks He Ultimately Can Run At Least 2:06 *American Diego Estrada Says He Can Run 2:07 Right Now (In Monza)

Two-time defending champ Florence Kiplagat is back in Chicago but she's an underdog as Tirunesh Dibaba, arguably the greatest women's distance runner in history, is racing. If they falter, American Jordan Hasay could win but having looked at the stats, we're worried she may never run faster than her debut in Boston. *MB: Will Jordan Hasay ever run faster than her 2:23:00 debut in Boston? Yes or no.

Kimetto and Kirui also face half-marathon WR holder Zersenay Tadese.

There was talk at the London press conference of Paula Radcliffe's 2:17:42 "all-women" WR as the pacemakers are targettign a 69-min first half.

The London Marathon website has called this "the best elite women’s field ever assembled," and they may be right. There are four sub-2:20 women and four more sub-2:22, including world champ Mare Dibaba, Chicago champ Florence Kiplagat and Berlin champ Aberu Kebede. Plus track studs Tirunesh Dibaba and Vivian Cheruiyot (who is making her debut).

The field is stacked as usual with 7 women who have ran under 2:21 and also includes Chicago champion Florence Kiplagat, Berlin winner Aberu Kebede and and former London winners Tigist Tufa (2015) and Aselefech Mergia (2010). Team USA will get some representation from Laura Thweatt and Kellyn Taylor.

Sumgong, like Eliud Kipchoge, was the unquestioned world #1 in 2016. Flanagan was one of three Americans to finish in the top 10 at the Olympics (Amy Cragg and Desi Linden were the others) -- only the second time a country had pulled off that feat (after Kenya in 2008).

Kirui, "We were pushing and I was tired, but my mind kept saying ‘go Kirui, go Kirui, go Kirui, your dream is coming true today’. And I was able to achieve it."

The women's field in Chicago has a total of seven women with PRs under 2:25 including the Kiplagats, Boston champ Atsede Baysa and Kenyan Olympian Visiline Jepkesho. Serena Burla (8th at Olympic Trials), Alia Gray (10th at Olympic Trials) and Sarah Crouch (2nd American at Boston) are the top U.S. entrants.

Kimetto faces defending champ Dickson Chumba, 2012 champion Tsegaye Kebede, 2008 Olympic 10,000m bronze medalist Micah Kogo and Stephen Sambu making his marathon debut. Luke Puskedra, Nick Arciniaga and Diego Estrada head the American charge. World half-marathon record holder Florence Kiplagat leads the women's field against Boston champion Atsede Baysa and 2:23-women Valentine Kipketer and Gulume Chala.

Good news, Galen Rupp and US women's marathon fans - it just got a lot easier to medal in Rio as Athletics Kenya picked a 2:24 woman and a man who is about to celebrate the 2-year anniversary of his last sub-2:10 clocking (May 25th) to the Olympic team. Stars like Edna Kiplagat and Mary Keitany will be sitting at home. Updated with new stats for Dickson Chumba and Bernard Kipyego and the fact that Wilson Kipsang didn't want to go to Rio.

Sumgong for her first major win despite a big fall.

Dibaba and Keitany were 1-2 in LRC's 2015 World Rankings and they'll be joined by three others in the top seven, including defending champ Tigist Tufa, 2010 champ Aselefech Mergia and Chicago champ/HM WR holder Florence Kiplagat. Sara Hall will also compete in a race that holds major Olympic implications for Kenya, Ethiopia and GB.