Tigst Assefa of Ethopia won the London Marathon in a women’s only record time of 2.15:50, as Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe won the men’s race.
Assefa eclipsed the previous women’s only record set by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir last year by 26 seconds, with the course record still held by Paula Radcliffe’s 2:15:25 time in 2003 — a mixed race when men and women started at the same time.
Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei finished second in the women’s race with a time of 2:18:43, with third-place Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands recording 2:18:59.
28-year-old Assefa previously held the standard women’s world record with her time of 2:11:53, set in a mixed gender race at the 2023 Berlin Marathon, but this fell to Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, who ran 2:09:56 at the 2024 Chicago Marathon.
Sawe, 29, won the men’s race in a time of 2:02:27, one minute and 33 seconds quicker than his compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao’s success in 2024.
24-year-old Jacob Kiplimo finished second, 70 seconds behind Sawe, while Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands was edged out into third by last year’s winner Mutiso after a sprint finish.
The legendary Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge, 40, finished sixth in 2:05:25.
Alex Yee, the Olympic triathlon champion, finished in 13th place, with a time of 2:11:06, the…
