Sawt Falasteen - Assefa wins London Marathon in women's-only world record time

NYSE - LSE

CMSC	-0.84%	21.102	$
VOD	-0.31%	15.96	$
RELX	1.48%	35.91	$
RIO	2.97%	105.3	$
CMSD	-0.67%	20.98	$
BCE	-0.3%	23.71	$
NGG	-1.08%	79.76	$
RBGPF	0%	68.56	$
GSK	0.86%	52.41	$
RYCEF	-1.23%	20.25	$
AZN	0.9%	165.98	$
BTI	-0.87%	56.21	$
BCC	0.85%	82.47	$
JRI	-0.24%	12.38	$
BP	-0.85%	44.76	$

Assefa wins London Marathon in women's-only world record time / Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS - AFP

Assefa wins London Marathon in women's-only world record time

SPORTS 26.04.2026

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa defended her London Marathon crown on Sunday, breaking her own women's-only world record.

Text size:

The reigning Olympic and world silver medallist was locked in a three-way tussle with Kenyan pair Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei, but pulled away in the closing stages to cross the line in a time of 2hr 15min 41sec.

That time beat by nine seconds her previous best, set on the same course last year.

Obiri, a two-time former world 5,000m champion who won marathon bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, came in second in a personal best of 2:15:53.

She finished just two-hundredths of a second ahead of compatriot Jepkosgei.

The world record set in a mixed race where female athletes benefit from male pacemakers was by Kenya's Ruth Chepngetich, who clocked 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in October 2024.

Chepngetich picked up a three-year doping ban in October 2025, although achievements and records pre-dating the March 2025 sample stand.

B.AbuZeid--SF-PST

Sawt Falasteen - Assefa wins London Marathon in women's-only world record time

Assefa wins London Marathon in women's-only world record time

Featured

Pegula dethrones Swiatek to reach Cincinnati final

World No. 3 Pegula beats defending champ Swiatek to reach Cincy final

IndyCars zip among iconic Washington landmarks ahead of Freedom 250

Wyndham Clark surges clear at BMW Championship