Under the warm embrace of a sunny London day, the iconic TCS London Marathon unfolded into a spectacle of sheer athletic brilliance, etching a new chapter into the sport's illustrious history. Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa, a name already synonymous with marathon excellence, didn't just win the prestigious World Athletics Platinum Label road race; she obliterated the women-only world record by a staggering 26 seconds, crossing the finish line in an unbelievable 2:15:50. This wasn't just a victory; it was a statement, a breathtaking display of speed and endurance that left the running world in awe. But the record-breaking drama didn't end there. In a parallel display of dominance, Kenya's Sabastian Sawe stormed to victory in the men's race, clocking a blistering 2:02:27 – the second-fastest time ever recorded on the demanding London course. It was a day where limits were shattered and legends were made.

Tigist Assefa, the Olympic silver medallist, ran with a fierce determination, shaking off the formidable challenge of Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei, the defending champion and previous women-only world record holder (2:16:16 from the previous year). After finishing second to Peres Jepchirchir in the previous London edition, Assefa was clearly on a mission. Her powerful strides and unwavering focus saw her gradually pull away from Jepkosgei, ultimately clinching her first London Marathon crown by a commanding margin of almost three minutes (2:18:44). Adding to the incredible performances, the reigning Olympic champion, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, secured a strong third-place finish in 2:19:00, further highlighting the exceptional caliber of the women's field.

The intent to break the women-only world record was palpable from the very start. The lead quartet, comprising Jepkosgei, Assefa, Hassan, and Megertu Alemu, set off at a blistering pace, guided by the unflinching pacemakers. They blazed through the 5km mark in an astonishing 15:34 – not only inside the targeted 2:15 pace but on a scorching sub-2:12 rhythm. This incredible speed was maintained through the 10km mark, reached in a blistering 31:16. While Hassan briefly dropped back at a water station, she valiantly rejoined the leaders, and the quartet hit the 15km mark in a remarkable 47:11.

However, the relentless pace began to take its toll. A significant gap opened up after 15km, and despite Hassan's tenacious efforts to rally, she found herself five seconds adrift at the 20km mark – a deficit that would only widen as the race progressed. By the halfway point, reached in a phenomenal 1:06:40, Assefa and Jepkosgei had broken away, establishing a 10-second lead over Hassan. Alemu, running in a lonely fourth place, trailed the leaders by a significant two and a half minutes but ultimately had to drop out before reaching the 25km mark.

With the final pacemaker exiting the race at 25km, the battle for victory narrowed down to the two frontrunners, Assefa and Jepkosgei. Hassan, displaying incredible grit, remained 26 seconds behind, with Haven Hailu Desse, Stella Chesang, and the experienced Vivian Cheruiyot following a further three minutes back. The leading pair continued to distance themselves from the rest of the elite field. As they reached the 35km mark in a blistering 1:52:12, Assefa unleashed the decisive break. After consistently churning out miles in the 5:26-5:28 range, a lightning-fast 5:03 24th mile proved to be the game-changer, propelling Assefa to a commanding 56-second lead by the 40km mark. She powered through the final stretch, striding across the finish line in a triumphant 2:15:50, the third-fastest marathon of her illustrious career, only behind her world-record-setting 2:11:53 from Berlin in 2023 (a mixed-gender race record at the time) and her 2:15:37, also from Berlin in 2022.

(It's important to note that while Assefa's time broke the women-only world record, her 2:11:53 from Berlin remains the second-fastest women's marathon of all time, behind Ruth Chepngetich's outright world record of 2:09:56 set in a mixed race in Chicago.)

"Having won today, what I am really thinking about going forward is to try and get my world record back for the marathon," a determined Assefa explained through an interpreter. “When I crossed the line, I felt extreme happiness." Reflecting on her race strategy, she added, “I was training for all outcomes. I felt I could win with a sprint; I could also win with a long run from home. The main thing was to prepare well, and that’s what I did.”

Jepkosgei, the 2021 London Marathon champion, fought valiantly to maintain her runner-up position, finishing a commendable 2:54 behind the record-breaking Assefa. Hassan, who had claimed a dramatic London victory on her marathon debut in 2023 and pipped Assefa to the Olympic title in Paris the previous year, finished a further 16 seconds adrift in third place, showcasing the intense rivalry at the top of women's marathon running. Desse, the 2023 Osaka Women's Marathon champion, finished fourth in a personal best of 2:19:17, and the experienced 2018 London Marathon champion Cheruiyot secured fifth place in 2:22:32, just ten seconds ahead of Chesang. Italy’s Sofiia Yaremchuk also broke her national record, finishing seventh in 2:23:14, while Great Britain’s Commonwealth 10,000m champion Eilish McColgan, whose mother Liz McColgan is a London Marathon legend with her 1996 victory, ran a solid 2:24:25 on her marathon debut for eighth place.

Adding to the Kenyan dominance, the men's race witnessed a commanding victory from Sabastian Sawe. The reigning world half marathon champion secured his second marathon win in a mere five months, adding the prestigious London title to his debut victory in Valencia in December (where he ran an impressive 2:02:05). His winning time of 2:02:27 in London is the second-fastest ever recorded on the challenging course, a testament to his exceptional talent and burgeoning marathon prowess. Only the late, great world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, with his phenomenal 2:01:25 in 2023, has ever run faster in the London Marathon, placing Sawe in truly elite company. The top eight men all finished inside the incredibly fast time of 2:07, highlighting the exceptional depth and competitiveness of the men's field. The London Marathon 2025 wasn't just a race; it was a historic showcase of human potential, etched forever in the annals of marathon running.