No love lost for Kenya's Kimetto, Kipsang as they clash in London marathon

There will be no love lost when the world's fastest road racers Dennis Kimetto and Wilson Kipsang clash at the London Marathon on April 26, race organizers announced on Thursday.

The duo are part of an elite field announced on Wednesday that includes the three quickest marathon runners of all time, five of the world's all-time top 10 and eight men in total who have run sub-2:05.

Kipsang and Kimetto have something to prove to each other, which will inspire their running to win the race and boost their chances of making the Kenya team to the World Marathon Championships in Beijing, China in August.

"I broke Wilson's world record in Berlin last year and now I want his London Marathon crown," said Kimetto.

"I am relishing the chance to face my friend over the famous course. I know it won't be easy but I am confident I can go the distance whatever he throws at me," he said.

Former world-record holder Wilson Kipsang will defend his London Marathon title against fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto, the man who made history last year when he broke Kipsang's record to become the first man ever to run the 42km distance in less than two hours three minutes.

Kimetto, who clocked 2:02:57 in last September's Berlin Marathon, will make his London Marathon debut in April, while Kipsang takes on the iconic course for the fourth time having won in 2012 and 2014.

The two are training partners in the Kenyan town of Iten but have never faced each other over the marathon distance.

Kipsang, who set the former world record of 2:03:23 at the Berlin Marathon in 2013, broke the London course record last year when he won in 2:04:29.

Now he is aiming to become only the fourth man in the event's 35-year history to claim a hat-trick of London titles.

"Having the current and former world-record holders in the same race, going stride for stride for the first time, is a real coup for us," said London Marathon race director Hugh Brasher. Endite