Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe used smart tactics to pull away for the victory in the elite men’s division of the London Marathon, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa smashed the women’s-only world record by 26 seconds.
Assefa, the 28-year-old Olympic silver medalist, won Sunday in 2:15:50, beating the previous women’s-only record of 2:16:16 set by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir in London last year.
She said the warmer temperatures (near 68 degrees by race end) helped her improve over last year’s performance. ‘Last year, I did have some problems with the cold,’ said Assefa, who was second in 2024. ‘My hamstring tightened up towards the end of the race. This year, the weather suited me really well, and that’s why I’m really pleased with the way the race went.”
Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya finished second in 2:18:44, continuing her run of strong performances in London having won in 2021 and placing second in 2022 and third last year.
Sawe made his strategic move with about 10K to go, pulling ahead when others in the lead pack reached for water bottles. Sawe won the men’s race in 2:02:27, beating runner-up Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda by 1 minute, 10 seconds.
Defending men’s champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao of Kenya edged out Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands in a photo finish for third, with both crossing in 2:04:20.
40-year-old Eliud Kipchoge, a four-time winner in London, finished sixth in 2:05:25. “I’m very happy with that,” Kipchoge said, according to the race website. “I’m 40 so it was no problem at all, that’s sport. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.”
With more than 56,000 people in the field, the London Marathon is ‘the most popular marathon on the planet,’ according to Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events. He said last year 840,000 people applied to run this year’s event.
Sifan Hassan finishes third in London Marathon
Sifan Hassan, a three-time Olympic gold medalist, told reporters after the race she had difficulty breathing early on, but she’s grateful to finish third in her first race of the year. “I’m in good shape, but I think I need some competition,” she said after running 2:19:00.
Last year at the Paris Olympics, Hassan pulled off one of the greatest performances we’ve seen at an Olympic Games. In the women’s marathon, Hassan outkicked Assefa to win gold, with the two pushing and shoving each other late in the race. The marathon victory in Paris came only two days after she won bronze in the 10,000 and six days after her silver medal in the 5,000.
Susanna Sullivan is the top American in the London Marathon
Susanna Sullivan, a sixth grade math teacher from Virginia, was the top American runner in the women’s field, finishing 10th in 2:29:30. She is the 10th fastest American woman in history after running 2:21:56 at last year’s Chicago Marathon. Sullivan, 34, was a standout runner in high school in Falls Church, Virginia, before she ran collegiately at Notre Dame. She is also an assistant coach at George Mason.
Updates: Assefa, Sawe win London Marathon titles
Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia has done it, setting a women’s only world record to win in 2:15:50, beating the previous record set last year by Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir by 26 seconds.
Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya finished second in 2:18:44.
Jepkosgei and Assefa were running side by side looking comfortable after the pacer dropped off. Assefa made her move with around 5 kilometers to go and by the 40K mark had a 56-second advantage.
Assefa’s time was the second-fastest run by a woman in London history, behind Paula Radcliffe’s 2:15:25 at the 2003 London Marathon, then a world record. Radcliffe ran with male pacemakers in the race.
Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan couldn’t keep up with the blistering pace and fell off around the halfway mark, finishing third in 2:19:00.
Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe put down the hammer to obliterate the men’s field, winning his London Marathon debut in 2:02:27, the second-fastest time in London history.
Sawe made a big move around the 30K mark to get in front of the pack. He ran a 4:18 split at mile 20 and put on a master class with crowds cheering him on. Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda, who holds the world record in the half marathon, placed second in his debut marathon, finishing in 2:03:37.
It was the fourth consecutive win by a Kenyan in the men’s race, and the 19th time in the race’s 45-year history. Sawe had a negative split of 60:58 after passing the halfway mark in 61:30.
London Marathon men’s results
Sabastian Sawe, Kenya, 2:02:27
Jacob Kiplimo, Uganda, 2:03:37
Alex Mutiso, Kenya, 2:04:20
Abdi Nageeye, Netherlands 2:04:20
Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia, 2:04:42
Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, 2:05:25
Hillary Kipkoech, Kenya, 2:06:05
Amanal Petros, Germany, 2:06:30
Mahamed Mahamed, Great Britian, 2:08:52
Milkesha Mengesha, Ethiopoa, 2:09:01
London Marathon women’s results
Tigst Assefa, Ethiopia, 2:15:50
Joyciline Jepkosgei, Kenya 2:18:44
Sifan Hassan, Netherlands, 2:19:00
Haven Hailu Desse, Ethiopia, 2:19:17
Vivian Cheruiyot, Kenya, 2:22:32
Stella Chesang, Uganda, 2:22:42
Sofiia Yaremchuk, Italy, 2:23:14
Elilish McColgan, Great Britain, 2:24:25
Rose Harvey, Great Britain, 2:25:01
Susanna Sullivan, USA, 2:29:30
Elite women through 35K: Tigst Assefa, and Joyciline Jepkosgei, 1:52:12; Sifan Hassan, 1:54:15
Elite men through 35K: Sabastian Sawe, 1:41:43; Jacob Kiplimo, 1:42:05; Milkesa Mengesha, Hillary Kipkoech, 1:42:20; Alex Mutiso, 1:42:33; Tamirat Tola, 1:42:34
Swiss racers sweep wheelchair titles
Switzerland swept the wheelchair events, with Marcel Hug winning his sixth London marathon title in 1:25:25. Catherine Debrunner claimed her third women’s title in four years in 1:34:18.
‘It’s tough to race twice in six days (having won Boston on April 21), but I was feeling very good. I’m almost 40 and it’s getting tougher year on year,’ Hug said.
Who is leading the women’s elite marathon?
Tigst Assefa
The 28-year-old from Ethiopia has a personal-best of 2:11:53 (Berlin 2023). The time in Berlin was then a world record and is now the second-fastest time by a female runner in history. She made her London debut last year, finishing second in 2:16:23. She won the Olympic silver medal last year in Paris (2:22:58) behind Sifan Hassan.
Joyciline Jepkosgei
The 31-year-old from Kenya won the London Marathon in 2021 in a then personal-best 2:17:43 and finished second in 2022. She also won the 2019 New York City Marathon. In February she won the half-marathon in Barcelona in 1:04:13.
How to watch the 2025 London Marathon
The London Marathon can be streamed on Flotrack in the United States, starting at 3:45 a.m. ET, Sunday, April 27.
Start times
Elite wheelchair races – 3:50 a.m. ET
Elite women – 4:05 a.m. ET
Elite men – 4:35 a.m. ET
Fastest contenders in the elite women’s race
Here are some of the favorites in the elite women’s race:
Tigst Assefa, Ethiopia, 2:11:53
Sifan Hassan, Netherlands, 2:13:44
Joyciline Jepkosgei, Kenya, 2:16:24
Megertu Alemu, Ethiopia, 2:16 :34
Stella Chesang, Uganda, 2:18 :26
Haven Hailu Desse, Ethiopia, 2:19 :29
Susanna Sullivan, USA, 2:21:56
Charlotte Purdue, Great Britain, 2:22:17
Fastest contenders in the elite men’s race
Here are some of the favorites in the elite men’s race. Alexander Mutiso is the 2024 London Marathon champion.
Eliud Kipchoge, Kenya, 2:01:09
Sabastian Sawe, Kenya, 2:02:05
Timothy Kiplagat, Kenya, 2:02:55
Alexander Mutiso Munyao, Kenya, 2:03:11
Milkesa Mengesha, Ethiopia, 2:03:17
Tamirat Tola, Ethiopia, 2:03:39
Mohamed Esa, Ethiopia, 2:04:39
Abdi Nageeye, Netherlands, 2:04:45
Hillary Kipkoech, Kenya: 2:04:45
Amanal Petros, Germany, 2:04:58
What is the world’s largest marathon?
An estimated 56,000 runners are expected to participate in Sunday’s London Marathon. The current world record for a marathon is 55,646, set in New York last year. According to a press release, the London Marathon is the world’s largest single day fundraiser with more than 1.3 billion pounds raised for charity since 1981.
What is the London Marathon course record?
Kelvin Kiptum set the men’s course record of 2:01:25 in 2023. Kiptum tragically died at the age of 24 last year.
The women’s record is held by Peres Jepchirchir, set last year, in 2:16:16.
Jacob Kiplimo in lead pack at halfway point
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo is making his marathon debut in London after shattering the half-marathon world record in February. He broke the half-marathon record by 48 seconds in Barcelona.
Sunday he was in the lead pack through the halfway mark at 1:01:31.
World record-holder Ruth Chepngetich among elite runners who withdrew
World record holder Ruth Chepngetich and 2024 London champion Peres Jepchirchir withdrew from the race two weeks ago.
Chepngetich set the world record last year, running 2:09:56 in Chicago to become the first woman to break 2:10. In a statement, she said she wasn’t “in the right place mentally or physically to race my best in London.”
Jepchirchir has an ankle injury.
On the men’s side, Kenenisa Bekele withdrew, citing niggling injuries that prevented him from training.
Where is the London Marathon feed on X?
If you’re wondering what happened to the official London Marathon account, there’s a simple explanation. Race director Hugh Brasher said the social media platform had “ceased to be a positive place,” and the race account no longer posts on X.
A British Commonwealth champion suffered abuse on social media that was body shaming and demeaning, one example of why the London Marathon no longer posts on the platform, according to the BBC.
‘There are some social media channels that are particularly vitriolic and are descending into a gutter,’ Brasher said, according to the BBC report.