Ethiopian runner Tigst Assefa made history at the 2025 London Marathon by setting a new women’s marathon world record, finishing in 2:15:50. This performance surpassed the previous record of 2:16:16 set by Peres Jepchirchir in 2024, pending verification by World Athletics .
Assefa’s victory was marked by a strategic surge in the final kilometers, pulling away from Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei, who finished second in 2:18:44. Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands secured third place with a time of 2:19:00 .
This triumph adds to Assefa’s impressive marathon career, which includes a world record time of 2:11:53 at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Her performance in London not only solidifies her status as a leading figure in women’s long-distance running but also highlights the evolving competitive landscape of the sport.
In the men’s race, Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe claimed victory with a time of 2:02:27, marking his first win in a World Marathon Major. Sawe’s decisive move came with over 10 kilometers remaining, allowing him to finish ahead of Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo and reigning champion Alexander Mutiso.
The 2025 London Marathon also set a new record for the number of finishers, with over 56,000 participants completing the race, surpassing the previous record of 55,646 set by the New York City Marathon in 2024
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