Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia made history on Sunday by setting a new women’s-only world record at the London Marathon, clocking an impressive 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 50 seconds. Meanwhile, Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe claimed victory in the men’s race.
Assefa, who finished second in both last year’s London Marathon and the Paris 2024 Olympics, delivered a commanding performance to redeem those near misses. She surged ahead of Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in the final stretch, ultimately crossing the line nearly three minutes ahead. Sifan Hassan, who bested Assefa at the Olympics, secured third place.
“Finishing second last year made today’s win incredibly meaningful,” said Assefa. “The cold weather and a tight hamstring affected me then, but the conditions this year were much more favorable. I felt comfortable throughout the race.”
In the men’s race, Sawe secured Kenya’s fourth consecutive London men’s title with a time of 2 hours, 2 minutes, and 27 seconds. He broke away from the pack at the 90-minute mark, finishing ahead of Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo.
Defending champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao narrowly beat Abdi Nageeye for third. “I am very happy to have won a major marathon,” Sawe said. “I was well prepared for this that is why I was so relaxed and confident. Now this gives me hope that further success in marathons will come.”
In the wheelchair events, Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner claimed victories, with Hug securing his seventh London Marathon crown and Debrunner setting a new course record. The marathon is also a significant charitable event, raising over £1.3 billion (€1.7m) since 1981.
“The support from the hundreds of thousands lining the streets has been unprecedented and is so important to those participants running for so many good causes,” Brasher added.
“The good the TCS London Marathon does is unrivalled. The feeling of this day and the benefits that running gives people can change people’s lives. We want as many people as possible to share that feeling, so if anyone has been inspired by what they have seen today, now is the time to enter the ballot for the 2026 TCS London Marathon.”
More than 56,000 runners took part this year, breaking participation records. The previous highest number of finishers was 55,646 at last year’s New York Marathon, while the Paris Marathon had 56,950 starters but fewer finishers. On Saturday, more than 15,000 young people competed in the Mini London Marathon, the biggest since its launch in 1986.
