Jo Pavey joins elite field for London Marathon

Jo Pavey will run in this year's London Marathon on April 23 with the five-time Olympian aiming to set a personal best as well as qualify for the World Championships.

The 43-year-old set a personal best of 2:28.24 when she ran in the event in 2011.

Pavey became the first British female track athlete to compete at five Olympic Games when she ran the 10,000 metres in Rio de Janeiro last summer.

"I have been thinking about doing a marathon again for the past few years and for a British athlete the London Marathon - with the amazing home crowds and the iconic course - is the pinnacle," said Pavey.

"I wanted to be sure I was injury-free and could crack on with my training before committing which I am and I'm really excited about the challenge.

"I would love to qualify for the World Championships in London. I know it's a tough ask, but it is an exciting challenge to think about the possibility of representing my country over distances from the 1500m right up to the marathon.

"It's also an event where I think I have the possibility of running a PB and that is also a massive target of mine."

In order to qualify for a place at August's World Championships, which will take place in London, Pavey will have to run inside 2:36.00 and be in the top two British finishers.

"I know it's not going to be easy," Pavey said. "There are lots of good girls in the field like Alyson Dixon, Charlotte Purdue, Louise Damen and Susan Partridge who all want the same thing."

Beyond the British athletes, the elite line-up also includes Kenya's Olympic gold medallist Jemima Sumgong, who won the title in 2016, New York marathon winner Mary Keitany also in the field and world champion and current 5000 meters world record holder Tirunesh Dibaba.

Meanwhile, British Olympian Tsegai Tewelde, who failed to finish the marathon at Rio 2016, has been added to the men's field.

The 27-year-old, who was born in Eritrea and lives in Glasgow, was the second Briton home behind Callum Hawkins in the 2016 event and hopes to win a place in the Great Britain team for the World Championships.

"After running so well in 2016, I hope the London Marathon will inspire me again to find my best form," Tewelde said. "Obviously, the Rio Olympics didn't go to plan for me but I will be doing my best to win selection for the British team for the World Championships in London this summer.

"It will be a tough race with lots of good athletes going for the two remaining places but I am confident I will be one of the first two Britons at the London Marathon."