Brigid Kosgei’s return to marathon racing at the Hamburg Marathon is generating considerable excitement, especially after her absence from the Olympic marathon team last year due to injury.

The 31-year-old Kenyan has consistently proven herself as one of the sport’s elite marathoners, and her comeback in Hamburg is highly anticipated.

Kosgei made history in 2019 with her stunning performance at the Chicago Marathon, where she shattered the longstanding women’s record with a remarkable 2:14:04 finish, surpassing Paula Radcliffe’s 2003 mark.

She had already proven herself on the streets of Chicago, winning the marathon in both 2018 and 2019, and had a strong showing in her Olympic debut, taking silver in Tokyo 2020.

Kosgei is also a two time London Marathon champion, having claimed victory in 2019 and 2020, with her second place finish in 2018 adding to her impressive resume.

Despite a challenging 2024, including her absence from the Olympic marathon team and a disappointing fifth place finish at the 2024 London Marathon, Kosgei is determined to make a strong comeback. Hamburg presents an exciting opportunity for her to get back to her best, especially as she faces stiff competition from Ethiopia’s Roza Dereje and other elite contenders.

The women’s race is expected to be thrilling, and Kosgei’s inclusion adds significant prestige and pace to the field.

She will be keen to prove she’s still a force to be reckoned with, and Hamburg could be the perfect stage for her to demonstrate her resilience and reclaim her position among the world’s top marathoners.

It’s set to be a highly competitive event with Kosgei leading the charge, but with top athletes like Dereje also in the mix, anything can happen.