Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa set a new world record in the women’s-only field at the London Marathon, while Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe claimed victory in the men’s race. Assefa, the Olympic silver medalist, surged ahead of Kenya’s 2021 winner, Joyciline Jepkosgei, with just 10 kilometers to go, finishing in 2:15:50. This time shattered the previous record by 26 seconds, which had been set by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir in London the previous year. Jepkosgei finished second, almost three minutes behind Assefa, while the 2023 winner and Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands took third.
In the men’s race, debutant Sawe made his move with just over 10 kilometers remaining and never looked back, finishing in 2:02:27. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, a half marathon world record holder, claimed second place on his marathon debut, with Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao securing third. Great Britain’s Mahamed Mahamed finished in ninth place, while Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee placed 14th. Eilish McColgan was the top British woman on her marathon debut, setting a Scottish marathon record of 2:24:25, surpassing Steph Twell’s previous record of 2:26:40 set in Frankfurt in 2019. McColgan finished eighth, just ahead of Rose Harvey.
The wheelchair races saw a Swiss double victory for the second consecutive year, with Catherine Debrunner breaking her own course record in the women’s race and Marcel Hug winning the men’s race for the seventh time.
The women’s race had been highly anticipated as a showdown between Assefa and Hassan, who had both earned gold and silver in the Paris Olympics the previous year. The pair were in the lead group early, but by the 20-kilometer mark, Assefa and Jepkosgei had pulled ahead, with Hassan trailing by five seconds. Assefa, who had previously held the outright world record, made a decisive move, building a 56-second lead at 40 kilometers and ultimately finishing with a substantial advantage. Reflecting on her win, Assefa expressed her joy, saying, “I am really, very happy. Last year I had some problems, but this year the weather suited me better.”
The men’s race was billed as the strongest ever at the London Marathon, with a lead group of nine athletes still in contention at the 30-kilometer mark. However, Sawe made his move just after 31 kilometers, pulling away from his competitors, including Kiplimo, Mutiso, four-time winner Eliud Kipchoge, and Olympic champion Tamirat Tola. His decisive break allowed him to cross the finish line a minute and 10 seconds ahead of his nearest challengers. Sawe expressed his happiness, stating, “I am so happy. This is my fastest time for the London Marathon.”
This year’s race was not only a triumph for Assefa and Sawe but also marked new records and a strong showing from both local and international athletes, showcasing the global reach and competitiveness of the London Marathon.
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