Women’s Race
London was illuminated on Sunday thanks to the power of Tigs Assefa, who clinched victory at the London Marathon 2025 with a new record time.
Assefa, hailing from Ethiopia, won the women’s division with a clocked time of 2:15:50. According to World Athletics records, this sets a new women-only marathon record.
The previous record was held by Peres Jepchirchir from Kenya, who achieved 2:16:16 in the 2023 London Marathon. Jepchirchir became the first woman to break the 2:12:00 barrier in any marathon.
While there is a faster time recorded, belonging to Ruth Chepng’etich from Kenya, it falls under mixed-gender marathons (not solely women) when she won the Chicago Marathon in 2024 with a time of 2:09:56.
Assefa surpassed Joyciline Jepkosgei from Kenya (2:18:44) and Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands (2:19:00) to etch her name in marathon history.
At 28, Assefa secured her third major marathon title, having previously won in Berlin in 2022 and 2023. In London, her best result was second place in 2024.
She also had a standout year, securing the silver medal for Ethiopia at the 2023 Paris Olympics, narrowly behind Sifan Hassan from the Netherlands but ahead of Hellen Obiri from Kenya.
“Last year, I had some issues with the cold; my calf muscle tightened towards the end of the race, but this year, the weather was perfect,” Assefa shared post-victory in the London Marathon 2025 with temperatures at less than 18 degrees Celsius.
“Crossing the finish line brought immense joy. I was extremely happy to win this race here,” said Assefa, who also received a $55,000 prize for her participation in London.
“I trained for any possible outcome. I felt capable of winning with a sprint or a long race. The key was thorough preparation, and that’s what I did.”
This victory marked only the fifth win for Ethiopia in the elite women’s division of the London Marathon, which began in 1981. Previous Ethiopian winners were Derartu Tulu (2001), Aselefech Mergia (2010), Tigist Tufa (2015), and Yalemzerf Yehualaw (2022).
Men’s Race
Sebastian Sawe from Kenya claimed first place in the elite men’s division of the London Marathon 2025, finishing with a time of 2:02:27.
This marked Kenya’s fourth consecutive victory in the men’s division, following Amos Kipruto (2022), Kelvin Kiptum (2023), and Alexander Mutiso (2024). Kenya now boasts a total of 18 victories.
The late Kelvin Kiptum holds the men’s marathon record for London with his 2:01:25 time in the 2023 victory. Sebastian Sawe secured the second-best record following the 2025 edition.
At 29, Sawe has now won a marathon twice, having previously triumphed in Valencia, Spain, in December 2024 with a time of 2:02:05. He also won the half-marathon in Riga, Latvia, in 2023.
Like Assefa, Sawe received a $55,000 prize for his London victory on Sunday, finishing ahead of Jacob Kiplimo from Uganda (2:03:37) and Alexander Mutiso Munyao from Kenya (2:04:20).
“I hope the marathon will be very significant for me in the future, and it will come easily,” Sawe expressed after his victory. “The secret is to train well, with discipline and focus, alongside trusting the process.”
Key Questions and Answers
- Who won the women’s division of the London Marathon 2025? Tigs Assefa from Ethiopia won with a record time of 2:15:50.
- What was the previous women-only marathon record? The previous record, held by Peres Jepchirchir from Kenya, was 2:16:16 in the 2023 London Marathon.
- Who won the men’s division of the London Marathon 2025? Sebastian Sawe from Kenya won with a time of 2:02:27.
- What is the men’s marathon record for London? Kelvin Kiptum from Kenya holds the record with a time of 2:01:25 in the 2023 London Marathon.
- How many times has Ethiopia won the elite women’s division of the London Marathon? Ethiopia has won five times in the elite women’s division since 1981.
- How many consecutive victories has Kenya had in the men’s division of the London Marathon? Kenya has won four times consecutively in the men’s division from 2022 to 2025.
