The unexpected winner of this year’s London Marathon, Alexander Mutiso Munyao, received recognition for his feat on Wednesday when he was named to the Kenyan marathon squad for the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris. Although the 27-year-old ran 2 hours, 03 minutes, and 11 seconds in Valencia in 2023, he was largely unknown outside of the marathon community.
However, last month, he made headlines when he defeated Ethiopian great Kenenisa Bekele to win his first major race in London with a pace of 2:04:01. Munyao, who broke the record in London, said that he wasn’t sure if he had done enough to be included, but he was included in the list along with Benson Kipruto, the winner of the Tokyo marathon in 2024, and Eliud Kipchoge, the winner of two Olympic gold medals.