Home Marathons Sabastian Sawe dominates and Tgist Assefa smashes the women’s-only world marathon record...

Sabastian Sawe dominates and Tgist Assefa smashes the women’s-only world marathon record in London

April 27, 2025

Kenyan Sabastian Kimaru Sawe showed up and demonstrated that he is one of the world’s best marathon runners, clocking 2:02:27 at the 2025 London Marathon. Meanwhile, Tigst Assefa broke the women’s-only marathon world record, recording a 2:15:48 performance.

The men’s race

The race began slowly in comparison to the finish time. The pacers led a large men’s field halfway through 1:01:30.

Some of the leaders included former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge and current world half-marathon record holder Jacob Kiplimo.

The pacers dropped off after 20-plus kilometres. This is when the tactics began to play out.

Men's top 3 @LondonMarathon

🥇 Sabastian Sawe 🇰🇪 2:02:27
🥈 Jacob Kiplimo 🇺🇬 2:03:37 NR
🥉 Alex Mutiso 🇰🇪 2:04:20

(Abdi Nageeye equalled Mutiso's time but Mutiso got it on the line)#AbbottWMM pic.twitter.com/bVShDnOtKq
— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) April 27, 2025

Sawe, who won the Valencia Marathon in December with an audacious debut at 2:02:05, took over. At 30kms he dropped the pace to, a ridiculous 2:45 per km.

The 29-year-old was alone for the rest of the race. It was over. He won by 1:10.

Kiplimo, making his marathon debut, finished second in 2:03:35. Alexander Mutiso Munyao and Abdi Nageeye battled for third.

Kipchoge faded hard once Sawe dropped the hammer. It seems preposterous to say that a marathon runner had a rough day running sub-2:06, but Kipchoge is no longer the dominant force that he once was.

Sawe’s the king now.

The women’s race

Ethiopian Tigst Assefa dominated, winning the women’s race in a new women’s-only world record of 2:15:48. The 28-year-old began the marathon with pace.

From the start, Assefa took off. with her was Sifan Hassan, Joyciline Jepkosgei, and Megertu Alemu. But she ran the first 5km in 15:34, which was 2:11 pace — the open world record. The pace continued through 10km in 31:15.

🏆 WINNER 🏆

Tigst Assefa 🇪🇹 has done it! She wins @LondonMarathon in a new women's only world record!

⏱️2:15:50 unofficial #AbbottWMM pic.twitter.com/mnnmuwDV0j
— Abbott WMMajors (@WMMajors) April 27, 2025

Alemu dropped at 15km. Hassan, seemingly the world’s most versatile runner, was within spitting distance at the halfway point. Just behind them, Jepkosgei was beginning to feel the pace. The leaders passed halfway in 1:06:40. This was the world record in 1999, which Elana Meyer held at 1:06:44 in Tokyo.

The real separation came after 30km. Hassan began to fade her long, slow fade. Assefa and Jepkosgei were neck and neck until 35km, then Assefa slipped Jepkosgei at that point. It was all but over.

Powering away with a 3:09 per km pace, Assefa dashed Jepkosgei to the breeze. With a final sprint-like effort, she crossed the finish line in 2:15:48, breaking the women’s-only record.

Jepkosgei was a whopping three minutes back at 2:18:41. Hassan, nearly caugher her and finished just 16 seconds back.

Eilish McColgan acquitted herself well in her debut, finishing eighth, bettering the Scottish record with a time of 2:24:24.

Pro-Palestinian protesters threw red paint at the lead runners while on the London Bridge. Police and some crowd members soon stopped them.