Tigst Assefa Breaks Women’s-Only World Record, Sabastian Sawe Wins Men’s Race at London Marathon

 Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa smashed the women’s-only world record at the 2025 London Marathon on April 27, 2025, finishing in 2:15:50 to claim victory, while Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe won the men’s race in 2:02:27, the second-fastest time in the event’s history. 

The 45th edition of the marathon, held in warm conditions with temperatures reaching 18°C, saw over 56,000 runners participate, though two protesters were arrested for throwing red powdered paint on the course before the elite races.

Assefa, the 2024 Paris Olympics silver medallist, surged past Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in the final 4km, beating Peres Jepchirchir’s 2024 women’s-only record of 2:16:16 by 26 seconds. Jepkosgei finished second in 2:18:22, with Olympic champion Sifan Hassan third in 2:18:40, admitting post-race that her seven-month competition hiatus affected her performance. 

Assefa, who struggled with cold weather in 2024, credited the warmer conditions, earning $55,000 for the win and a $125,000 record bonus. In the men’s race, Sawe, 29, made a decisive break at the 32km drinks station, outpacing Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, who finished second in 2:03:38, and 2024 champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao, third in 2:04:15. Eliud Kipchoge placed sixth, while Britain’s Alex Yee, in his marathon debut, finished 14th in 2:11:08.

The wheelchair races saw Switzerland’s Marcel Hug win the men’s event in 1:28:33 and Catherine Debrunner set a course record of 1:38:07 in the women’s race. Eilish McColgan, making her London debut, set a Scottish record of 2:24:25, finishing eighth.