Sifan Hassan has opened up about the immense challenges of marathon running as she prepares for the 2025 London Marathon. The 31-year-old Dutch star, known for her dominance across multiple distances, has described the marathon as the toughest event in athletics.
After winning bronze in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the Paris Olympic Games, Hassan went on to claim marathon gold in a record-breaking performance. Her remarkable achievement cemented her status as one of the greatest distance runners of all time. Her achievements were recognized at the World Athletics Awards 2024 in Monaco, where she won the Women’s Out of Stadium category before being named the Women’s World Athlete of the Year.
Now, Hassan is preparing to return to the streets of London, where she made her marathon debut in 2023. That race saw her triumph in a course record time of 2:28:33, a performance that announced her arrival as a serious contender in the event. She followed up that success with victory at the Chicago Marathon later that year before her historic win in Paris.
The Paris 2024 marathon course was widely regarded as one of the most grueling in Olympic history. It featured extreme weather conditions, a prolonged ascent, and a particularly punishing climb around the 29-kilometer mark. The steep descent that followed only added to the physical demands of the race, making it a true test of endurance and mental resilience.
Reflecting on her experiences in the marathon, Hassan acknowledged the ever-present challenge of self-doubt, despite her growing success.
“I think even if you do these things and you understand how to go about them, it would still be scary,” she admitted. “Before Paris, I did not know the journey much, which I do now, but as a human being, your brain is scared because you would be going out there for two hours and others for five hours.”
She emphasized the mental and physical strain that marathon runners endure, explaining why the event is so demanding.
“You have to push yourself and persevere through the pain for two hours, and it is scary. It does not matter how many marathons you run, you will still be scared because you have to endure for that long, and it hurts the body.”
Hassan also detailed the specific moments in a marathon that she finds most difficult.
“For me, I struggle during the first few kilometers of the race. The first 10 kilometers of the Paris marathon were the worst. I suffered a lot, and at that point, I was like, ‘I have to go for another 35 kilometers?’”
However, she explained that the final stages of the race tend to be more manageable, as the finish line draws closer.
“The last 10 kilometers are easier because you know you will sit down and rest soon. In Chicago, the last 10 kilometers were hard, and that is because I pushed too hard and I just wanted to get done with it.”
With her focus now shifting more towards the marathon, Hassan’s decision to skip the 1500 meters at the Paris Olympics may indicate a transition away from middle-distance events. Her next big test will come in London on April 27, where she will once again take on some of the best marathon runners in the world.
