Assefa sets women's marathon record at London, Sawe wins men's race

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa won the 2025 London Marathon, setting a new women-only world record with a time of 2:15:50, surpassing the previous mark set in 2023. Assefa pulled away from Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in the final kilometers, finishing nearly three minutes ahead, while Olympic champion Sifan Hassan placed third. The race featured a fast early pace, with Assefa and Jepkosgei breaking from the lead group by the halfway point before Assefa surged clear for the win. In the men’s elite race, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe claimed victory in 2:02:27, making a decisive move around the 30-35km mark to break away from the field. Sawe’s win marks his biggest career achievement and continues Kenya’s recent dominance in the event. The 2025 edition also saw strong performances from other top athletes and record participation in the marathon.