Assefa sets a new female record; SAWE reaches the finish line before the starry field – Firstpost

The Ethiopia Tigst Asfa has set a new female world record of 2 hours 15 minutes 50 seconds when it won the London marathon on Sunday while Sabastian Sawe of Kenya put a star male field at the sword.

For Assefa, 28, it was a great compensation for finishing finalist in London and at the Paris Olympic Games last year – especially as a bitter Dutch rival, the Sifan Hassan, born in Ethiopia, finished third.

Assefa dropped Joyciline Jepkosgei from Kenya as a race, took place under the Blazing sun and with thousands of people aligning the route, entered its commercial end.

What a beginning! 💨 Tigst Assefa directs the fastest female marathon (race reserved for women) with a time of 2:15:50! Congratulations 💪#Londonmarathon pic.twitter.com/avwsivtopy

– Guinness World Records (@gwr) April 27, 2025

She returned home for almost three minutes away from Kenyan. Hassan, who beat her in a bad mood finish in the Olympic race last year, was well in the third.

“I was second last year, so winning here this year is very special,” she told the BBC speaking through an interpreter.

“Last year, I had problems with the cold and my hamstirng tightened.

“This year suited me much more and found it much easier.”

Sawe made the decisive break in a drinking station when they reached the 90 -minute brand and he gave Kenya his fourth successive fourth in the male race 2h 02min 27 seconds.

The 29-year-old, who won the Valence marathon last December, returned alone in front of the record for the world half-marathon of Uganda, Jacob Kiplimo.

The reigning champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao has ahead of Abdi Nageeye for third place in a photo while the quadruple champion Eliud Kipchoge finished sixth.

The British Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee finished a very credible 14th in his early days.

“I am very happy to have won a major marathon,” said Sawe, who won the Valence marathon last December.

“I was well prepared for that, that’s why I was so relaxed and confident.

“Now that gives me the hope that new successes in marathons will come.”

There was a double Swiss in the category of wheelchairs – Marcel Hug and the Olympic champion Catherine Debrunner winning the male and female titles respectively.

For Hug, 39, it was his seventh Crown from London and his fifth successive victory. For Debrunner, 30, he represented his second consecutive and third victory in the general classification.

‘She was perfect’

It was not only a question of stars, as in a race pretended by the organizers being the most popular marathon in the world, there was a lot to run to collect funds for charities or due to personal loss.

The marathon is the largest day collection event in the world with more than 1.3 billion pounds sterling ($ 1.72 billion) collected for charity since the first race in 1981.

The Fathers of Alice Da Silva, 9, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, two of the three young girls murdered last July in Southport, in northern England, participated in the memory of their daughters.

They received a video message from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Keir Starmer.

“Elsie was my best friend, she was perfect, it’s like a therapy, it’s more than just a race,” said David Stancombe, who looked at the race with her last year, while Alice’s father, Sergio Aguiar, said: “I wanted to do something for her.”

Isla, 18 -year -old from Triple Victor from London Paula Radcliffe, made her debut for children with UK cancer. She received a 13 -year -old cancer diagnosis.

The 45th edition of the race was aimed at breaking a record and becoming the marathon with the most competing.

It was expected that more than 56,000 people participate this year, from the elite field to those in disguise, notably Sarah Louise Haddock dressed in a suitable manner.

The record number of finishers is 55,646 finish at the New York Marathon from last year. The Paris marathon of this month also has 56,950 runners but fewer finish.