Six-time Paralympic champion David Weir also returns to the event for his 21st consecutive edition

The world’s No.1 ranked wheelchair racers Manuela Schär and Daniel Romanchuk will return to defend their Virgin Money London Marathon titles on April 26.

Schär has won an impressive nine straight Abbott World Marathon Majors races, a streak that started at the BMW Berlin Marathon in 2018, and she hopes to continue that success in the UK capital.

“It has been an incredible period in my career. I know I am in an amazing run of form and I will be doing all I can in 2020 to make sure that continues,” said the Swiss racer, who holds the London Marathon course record of 1:39:57 and the world record of 1:36:53.

“I love racing at the Virgin Money London Marathon. London is a fantastic city and the supporters along the route are always amazing so I can’t wait to return.”

Schär is one of five previous London winners in the elite women’s wheelchair field as she is joined by four-time champion Tatyana McFadden and 2018 winner Madison de Rozario, who were second and third last year respectively, as well as 2008 winner Sandra Graf.

Shelly Woods, the last British winner of the elite women’s wheelchair title, returns to the race for the first time since giving birth to her son, Leo, in 2017.

Woods won the London Marathon in 2007 and 2012 and also claimed silver in the marathon at the 2012 Paralympics in London.

The men’s race offers another clash of youth versus experience as USA’s Romanchuk does battle once again with two-time London winner Marcel Hug and the most decorated athlete in the event’s history, David Weir.

Britain’s Weir has won the race on eight occasions and will line up in the event for the 21st consecutive time.

This is the third of London Marathon’s ‘elite week’ announcements, with further athletes to be confirmed in the coming days.

Elite women’s wheelchair field

Manuela SCHAR (SUI) 1:28:17
Susannah SCARONI (USA) 1:33:17
Tatyana MCFADDEN (USA) 1:35:05
Madison DE ROZARIO (AUS) 1:39:22
Sandra GRAF (SUI) 1:35:44
Christie DAWES (AUS) 1:37:14
Shelly WOODS (GBR) 1:38:08
Margriet VAN DEN BROEK (NED) 1:38:33
Zou LIHONG (CHN) 1:38:44
Tsubasa KINA (JPN) 1:39:36

Elite men’s wheelchair field

Marcel HUG (SUI) 1:18:04
Ernst VAN DYK (RSA) 1:18:04
Josh CASSIDY (CAN) 1:18:25
Hiroyuki YAMAMOTO (JPN) 1:19:32
Heinz FREI (SUI) 1:20:14
Hiroki NISHIDA (JPN) 1:20:28
Joshua GEORGE (USA) 1:21:47
Rafael BOTELLO JIMENEZ (ESP) 1:22:09
David WEIR (GBR) 1:26:17
Daniel ROMANCHUK (USA) 1:26:26