Like the men's race, the women's race in London is headlined by an incredible showdown: WR holder Brigid Kosgei against world champ Ruth Chepngetich. Both women have won their last 3 marathons; something's gotta give in London.

Katelyn Tuohy won her 3rd straight NXN title. What does that mean for her future success? Plus a pacemaker won $100,000 in Abu Dhabi and there were a TON of Olympic Trials qualifiers at CIM.

The Valencia Marathon field is LOADED and well tell you all about it here.

Mare Dibaba (2:19:52) was also announced.

Keitany returns to defend her title against NYC champ Cheruiyot and they also face Berlin champ Gladys Cherono and Chicago champ Brigid Kosgei. So four out of six of the reigning champs from WMM races will be there.

2018 was the best year in the history of the women's marathoning. Coming into the year, only five women in history had ever broken 2:19 but six different women did it 2019.  Plus 11 times a woman broke 2:20 in 2018, the most in history.

Americans Des Linden and Shalane Flanagan both have won a major in the last year but they both are big underdogs at the 2018 TCS New York City Marathon. *MB: 2018 NYC Women's Race: Can Shalane Flanagan or Des Linden repeat as WMM champ? Make your picks now.

Other big names include Vivian Cheruiyot, 2014 World Half champ Gladys Cherono and Fancy Chemutai who ran 65:36 to finish runner-up with Jepkosgei set her WR.

Cheruiyot made her debut in London with 2:23:50, but in Frankfurt is planning on going through the half in 70-minutes and running the same or faster for the second half.

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.

Ayana may not have earned Olympic gold in the 5,000, but she was utterly dominant apart from that, breaking 14:20 three times in 2016 (before this year, it had been done six times, total). U.S. #1 was a tough choice as Shannon Rowbury earned 3k bronze at World Indoors and set the American 5k record while Molly Huddle crushed everyone in the 5k at the Olympic Trials.

The two women's distance legends, who both excelled in Rio, will clash tomorrow in the UK.