Sebastian Sawe and Tigst Assefa Dominate 2025 London Marathon

by RunnerSpace.com with assist from AI

The 2025 London Marathon delivered a day of high drama, fast times, and memorable performances as some of the world’s best marathoners took to the streets of the British capital.

In the men's race, Sebastian Sawe of Kenya dominated with a commanding victory, crossing the line in 2:02:27. Sawe’s aggressive early pace broke the field apart and he never looked back, running the second-fastest time ever recorded in London. Jacob Kiplimo of Uganda made a strong marathon debut, finishing second in 2:03:37, a gutsy effort given the blistering pace. Kenyan Alexander Mutiso Munyao secured third in 2:04:20, narrowly edging out Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands, who also clocked 2:04:20 in a thrilling sprint finish.

The legendary Eliud Kipchoge, widely regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, finished sixth in 2:05:25. While not a victory, Kipchoge's performance at age 40 still cemented his remarkable longevity at the elite level.

Other notable performances included strong showings from Germany’s Amanal Petros (8th in 2:06:30) and Britain’s Mahamed Mahamed, who thrilled the home crowd by placing ninth with a personal best of 2:08:52.

In the women's race, it was Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia who proved untouchable, winning in a stunning 2:15:50, the fastest women's-only race marathon time ever recorded. Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei claimed second place with a strong 2:18:44, while Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, in only her second career marathon, showcased her trademark closing strength to take third in 2:19:00.

Veteran Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya, competing in the 40-44 age group, impressed with a fifth-place finish in 2:22:32, showing she remains a force even after a long career on the track and roads.

Among the British athletes, Eilish McColgan made a successful marathon debut, finishing eighth in 2:24:25, and Rose Harvey continued her rise on the international stage with a ninth-place finish in 2:25:01.

The 2025 edition of the London Marathon once again lived up to its reputation as one of the world’s premier road races, blending world-class performances, emotional personal stories, and raucous crowd support on a perfect spring day.