🇪🇹 Tigst Assefa Defends Crown as London Marathon Produces Historic Dual Record Day

On Apr 26, 2026 557

Addis Ababa, April 26, 2026 (FMC) – Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa delivered one of the defining performances of the 2026 London Marathon, successfully defending her women’s elite title and setting a new women-only world record of 2:15:41 in a race that remained tightly contested deep into the final stages.

The women’s elite field ran in a compact lead group for much of the race, with no decisive separation until the closing kilometres. Assefa responded with a strong finishing phase to break away from Kenya’s Hellen Obiri, who finished second in 2:15:53, and Joyciline Jepkosgei, who took third in 2:15:55.

The narrow finishing gap among the top three reflected one of the most competitive women’s marathon finishes in recent London Marathon history, with the decisive moves coming only in the final stretch.

The victory further extended Assefa’s dominance in the event, as she improved her own women-only world record and reaffirmed her consistency at championship-level city marathons.

In the men’s elite race, Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe produced a historic performance to win in 1:59:30, breaking the symbolic two-hour barrier in a competitive marathon environment. The race featured an exceptionally fast early and mid-race pace, with a lead group that remained intact until the final phase.

Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha delivered a breakthrough marathon debut performance, finishing second in 1:59:41, staying within seconds of Sawe throughout the closing stages. Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo completed the podium in 2:00:28 after also maintaining a high pace in the leading group.

All top three finishers in the men’s race finished under the previous world record benchmark of 2:00:35, underlining the unprecedented depth of the field and the historic nature of the contest.

The 2026 London Marathon concluded with record-level outcomes in both elite categories: a women’s world record from Assefa and a men’s race that produced the fastest-ever top-three finishing cluster in marathon history.