Assefa Clinches Historic London Marathon Win, Setting a New Milestone
Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia secured her first London Marathon title on Sunday, demonstrating her strength and strategy by pulling away from Joyciline Jepkosgei in the final stretch. Assefa completed the race in an unofficial time of 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 50 seconds, setting a new record for the fastest-ever women’s-only marathon time. However, despite this remarkable achievement, her time fell just 25 seconds short of the overall course record, which was set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003 during a mixed-gender race. Last year, the women’s-only marathon record was set in London by Peres Jepchirchir, who finished in 2:16:16.
At 28 years old, Assefa adds this prestigious win to her growing list of accomplishments, which includes two victories at the Berlin Marathon. Despite having finished second in both the London Marathon and at the Paris Olympics the previous year, she finally claimed her spot at the top this time around. Her victory was notably different from her experience in Paris, where a sprint finish was necessary to determine the winner. This time, she avoided the need for a dramatic sprint, breaking away from Jepkosgei with just a few kilometers remaining. From there, Assefa ran solo, confidently navigating her way along the Thames and through central London, ultimately crossing the finish line in front of Buckingham Palace.
Jepkosgei, who had previously won the London Marathon in 2021, finished nearly three minutes behind Assefa, with a time of 2:18:44. Olympic gold medalist Sifan Hassan finished in third place, continuing to showcase her impressive abilities on the marathon circuit.
In the wheelchair events, Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland triumphed with her third women’s title in four years. She completed the race in 1:34:18, narrowly missing her own world record by just two seconds. Her victory added to her already impressive marathon career, confirming her status as one of the top competitors in the wheelchair division.
A record-breaking 56,000 runners were expected to participate in the 26.2-mile race, which started at Greenwich Park. The scenic route took participants along the Thames and through iconic parts of central London before concluding at The Mall, near Buckingham Palace. This year’s marathon not only highlighted elite performances but also celebrated the incredible mass participation that has made the London Marathon one of the world’s most popular and prestigious long-distance events.
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