The world's richest wheelchair marathon returns to the streets of London on Sunday 23 April when two of the greatest wheelchair racers ever seen defend their Virgin Money London Marathon titles against the largest elite fields in the history of the event.
Switzerland's 'Silver Bullet' Marcel Hug and USA's 'Queen of the Roads' Tatyana McFadden will be outstanding favourites to claim the US$20,000 winners' awards in London.
Hug has dominated the men's contest in the inaugural Abbott World Marathon Majors Wheelchair Series over the last 12 months. He will be seeking his third London Marathon victory after edging out Australia's course record-holder Kurt Fearnley and Britain's six-time winner David Weir last April.
McFadden is aiming for a record fifth straight women's crown, a feat never achieved before in any London Marathon elite race - men's, women's or wheelchair. She won all but one of the five World Marathon Majors races she entered in Series X, completing the quadruple of Boston, London, Chicago and New York victories for the fourth year in a row.
The total prize purse has been boosted this year to US$112,000 from $84,500 in 2016, making the London Marathon's T53/54 wheelchair contests the most lucrative in the world. No fewer than 33 men and 14 women will pursue the record awards on offer to the top 10 finishers in each event - more racers than ever before in 35 years of London Marathon wheelchair racing.
*Click here to see the full entry lists for all wheelchair and World Para Athletics Marathon World Cup races.
