Kipchoge vs. Kipsang vs. Bekele set for Sept. 24

By Scott Bush, DyeStat Editor

Organizers of the BMW Berlin Marathon announced Tuesday the addition of legendary Ethiopian runner Kenenisa Bekele to their 2017 professional field.

With Bekele entering the competition, fans will now bear witness to one of the most intriguing head-to-head matchups in marathon history, as Bekele, reigning Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge and Wilson Kipsang are set to square off in the German capital.

To put the talent of this trio in perspective, nine of the top 16 all-time marathon performances come from the three athletes. Kipsang has four of the top 12, as the only man to run sub-2:04 four times.

Kipchoge owns four of the top 16 marks, with four performances at 2:04:11 or faster. Bekele owns a best of 2:03:03, the second-fastest time in history. 

Adding to the intrigue, Kipchoge ran 2:00:25 at Nike's Breaking2 event in early May. 

Berlin's history of fast performance should be noted, as well. Six of the seven fastest times in history were done on the Berlin Marathon course, highlighted by the last four world records, including the current record of 2:02:57 set by Dennis Kimetto in 2014. Good weather and strong pacing should push the trio to challenge Kimetto's mark.