London Marathon 2025: Tigst Assefa breaks women's-only world record with stunning victory, Sabastian Sawe claims men's title
Published 27/04/2025 at 13:54 GMT+1
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Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa made the headlines on the streets of the capital on Sunday morning as she stormed to victory in the London Marathon, breaking the women's-only world record. Sabastian Sawe won the men's race, while there was an impressive marathon debut for Britain's triathlon great Alex Yee. Big crowds watched the race in the spring sunshine.
Assefa makes history again by setting women’s-only world record to win London Marathon
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa stormed to a magnificent victory in Sunday's London Marathon, breaking the women's-only world record in the process.
The 28-year-old, who won silver in the women's marathon at last year's Paris Olympics, was simply outstanding on the streets of London.
Her time of 2:15.50 will go down in the record books. Paula Radcliffe's course record of 2:15.25 remains fractionally faster, achieved with the help of male pacemakers.
Kenyan Ruth Chepng’etich ran 2:09:56 in last year’s Chicago Marathon, but that was in a mixed race.
Assefa received a rapturous reception from fans as she claimed her landmark win.
Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei, the previous women's-only record-holder, was second in a time of 2:18.44. Dutch racer Sifan Hassan, winner of the Olympic women's marathon and last year's London Marathon, came third in 2:19.00.
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Former European 10,000m champion Jo Pavey was effusive with praise on TNT Sports and discovery+ as Assefa took victory.
"She screamed with delight as she crossed the line and so she should," Pavey said. "What a performance."
Sabastian Sawe claimed victory in the men's race shortly afterwards, breaking the tape with a time of 2:02.27.
The 29-year-old Kenyan won the Valencia Marathon on debut in December, but this could go down as the biggest success of his career so far.
Uganda's Jacob Kiplimo finished in second in a time of 2:03.37, while Kenya's Alexander Mutiso Munyao was third in 2:04.20.
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Kenya’s Sawe wins men’s race at London Marathon after ‘phenomenal run’
Video credit: TNT Sports
Britain's triathlon great Alex Yee finished 14th on his marathon debut, behind fastest male Briton Mahamed Mahamed, who came ninth.
There was a Swiss double in the wheelchair events, with Marcel Hug racing to his sixth London marathon title in 1:25.25 and Catherine Debrunner winning her third women's title in 1:34.18.
Around 56,000 runners were competing in the famous event, which was first staged in 1981, raising millions of pounds for charity in the process.
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