2025 London Marathon: Tigst Assefa Wins War of Attrition, Holds on to Break Women’s-Only WR in 2:15:50, Wins $305,000

LRC note: The top section of this article was written remotely by Race Results Weekly’s David Monti. The quick takes below were written by LetsRun.com’s Jonathan Gault on-site in London. Our recap of the London men’s race, won in sensational fashion by Sabastian Sawe, can be found here.

In sunny and a-bit-too-warm conditions, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa and Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe dominated the 45th edition of the TCS London Marathon this morning. The two adidas-sponsored athletes won using late-race breakaways, and Assefa established a pending women-only world record of 2:15:50. Sawe, running in only his second marathon, clocked the second-fastest time in London Marathon history: 2:02:27.  LetsRun.com’s recap of the super high-qualtiy men’s race can be found here: 2025 London Marathon: Sabastian Sawe Makes a Statement with Dominant 2:02:25 Victory

WOMEN START OUT FAST

Although the women’s field was weakened by the late withdrawals of world record holder Ruth Chepngetich and 2021 Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir (both of Kenya), Assefa still faced strong competition from reigning Olympic champion Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and former half-marathon world record holder Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya. Shepherded by Kenyan pacemakers Catherine Reline Amanang’ole and Gladys Chepkurui, the trio went through the opening downhill 5 km in an aggressive 15:34 (2:11:22 pace). They were also joined by Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu, and the chase pack of Kenya’s Vivian Cheruiyot, Ethiopia’s Haven Hailu Desse, American Susanna Sullivan, and Uganda’s Stella Chesang were already 50 seconds back. Scottish debutante Eilish McColgan was running alone another three seconds back.

The leading four women stayed together through 10 km (31:16 – 2:11:56 pace) and 15 km (47:11 – 2:12:44 pace). It was at that point that both Alemu, the 2024 Valencia champ (2:16:49 pb) and Hassan began to have trouble. Alemu slowed dramatically in the next 5-kilometer segment (she would drop out before 25-K), and Hassan managed to maintain contact through the half-way point (1:06:40) where she was only 10 seconds behind. Amanang’ole stayed on the front, but Chepkurui dropped out just before 20-K.

As the race progressed in the second half, Jepkosgei did most of the leading with Assefa running right on her heels. Hassan fell farther and farther behind with each 5-kilometer segment, and was 1:10 back at 30-K and 2:03 back at 35-K. She would run the entire second half alone and finish third in 2:19:00.

Kevin Morris photo

The final pacer Amanang’ole dropped out at 25-K, and Assefa and Jepkosgei ran together through 35-K (1:52:12  – 2:15:16 pace). The pair seemed fused together until Assefa dropped a 5:03 for the 24th mile (that’s approximately 37 to 38.7 km), and broke the race open. She was determined not to finish second as she did last year.

“This looks like a strong, strong race-winning move by Assefa,” said British Olympian Hannah England on the world feed commentary.

Indeed, it was. Assefa sipped her drink at the 40-K fluid station, confident that she had an insurmountable lead. Getting the women-only world record was icing on the cake, and she fell to her knees with her arms raised just after finishing. Assefa won a total of $305,000: $55,000 for first place, $100,000 for sub-2:16:00, and $150,000 for the women’s world record.

“Last year I did have some problems with the cold,” Assefa said in her post-race interview with the help of an interpreter. “My hamstring tightened up toward the end of the race. This year the weather suited me really well.”

Jepkosgei, who was clearly struggling over the final 400 meters, hung on for second in 2:18:44. Fourth place went to Desse, who was in fifth at halfway, in 2:19:17. Kenyan veteran Vivian Cheruiyot, who was a late addition to the elite field, finished fifth in 2:22:32 at age 41.

Back in eighth place, Eilish McColgan set a Scottish record of 2:24:25 and also took the McColgan family record from her mother, Liz, who ran 2:26:52 at London in 1997.

“I’m really proud to have finished today; it was a very, very tough run,” McColgan told reporters in the race’s mixed zone. “I started out a little bit hot and paid the price on that. Lots to learn, a very, very steep learning curve. Yeah, I can call myself a marathoner.”

Also noteworthy was that Italy’s Sofiia Yaremchuk set a national record of 2:23:14 in seventh place, and American Susanna Sullivan finished 10th in 2:29:30 (off of a 1:11:56 halfway split). Only 13 women (out of 15 starters) finished in the elite women’s division.

*Full results

Women’s top 13 finishers
1. Tigist ASSEFA, ETH, 2:15:50 WRwo*
[1:06:40 / 1:09:10]
2. Joyciline JEPKOSGEI, KEN, 2:18:44
3. Sifan HASSAN, NED, 2:19:00
4. Haven Hailu DESSE, ETH, 2:19:17
5. Vivian CHERUIYOT (40+), KEN, 2:22:32
6. Stella CHESANG, UGA, 2:22:42
7. Sofiia YAREMCHUK, ITA, 2:23:14 NR
8. Eilish MCCOLGAN, GBR, 2:24:25 DB/Scottish Record (1st NC)
9. Rose HARVEY, GBR, 2:25:01 (2nd NC)
10. Susanna SULLIVAN, USA, 2:29:30
11. Phily BOWDEN, GBR, 2:30:28 (3rd NC)
12. Molly BOOKMYER, USA, 2:32:31
13. Holly ARCHER, GBR, 2:39:45 DB
*World record/women-only competition; previous 2:16:16, Peres Jepchirchir (KEN), London, 21-Apr-2024

Quick Takes by LetsRun.com’s Jonathan Gault

Assefa won the survival test after an aggressive first half and picked it up late to win a TON of $$$

The initial plan for the women’s leaders today was to come through halfway in 67:30, but Assefa ran very aggressively early, right behind the pacers, and they responded by upping the tempo. Through 10k (31:16), the leaders were on 2:11:55 pace, and even though they would slow from there, they still hit halfway much faster than planned in 66:40.

Given the climbing temperatures, the lack of pacers (Catherine Reline Amanang’ole did well to last 25k), and the lack of sub-elite men to chase thanks to London’s women’s-only start, the second half was always going to be more of a challenge. The race turned into a war of attrition: who could slow down the least during a brutal second half? That turned out to be Assefa, who went 66:40-69:10 — a significant positive split but easily enough to win over Jepkosgei, who was basically crawling by the end.

Assefa looked over her shoulder repeatedly during the second half, concerned about a Hassan comeback, but it never materialized. She was easily the best woman on this day and came just 25 seconds shy of Paula Radcliffe‘s legendary 2:15:25 course record, which was set with the aid of male pacers in 2003.

Whether or not it was intentional, Assefa made herself a lot of money in the final miles of this race. She hit 40k in 2:08:47 (2:15:51 pace), after averaging 5:20.3/mile pace from 35-40k. If she maintained that pace to the finish, she would have run 2:16:03 and if she slid to 5:30 pace, she would have run 2:16:17. Those were significant numbers as there was a $100,000 bonus on offer for sub-2:16 and a $150,000 bonuns for a women’s-only world record (2:16:16). Fortunately for Assefa, she picked it up to 5:10.1 pace from 40k to the finish and secured both bonuses.

Joyciline Jepkosgei was proud to tough it out and finish 2nd today

Jepkosgei was 2nd today, continuing her outstanding record in London, where she has finished 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 2nd in four appearances. Jepkosgei had hoped to better her 2:16:24 personal best, and while she could not quite hold on, she was happy with how she ran. In particular, Jepkosgei was proud that she was able to pivot and protect second place when she started feeling the heat late in the race.

“At 35k, it was a little bit warm and I didn’t manage the humidity, so I was feeling humid in the body,” Jepkosgei said. “I’m happy and grateful for what I have done today.”

As that point (35k), Jepkosgei was with Assefa on 2:15:15 pace but slowed dramatically, averaging 5:56.1/mile pace from 35k to the finish and just 6:35.7/mile pace from 40k to the finish. She was moving with great difficulty in the final mile but still had enough to hold off Hassan.

Jepkosgei’s run was clear progress from October, where she went out in 67:30 in Chicago but faded to 5th in 2:20:51. Today, she went out even faster but held on better to beat out take 2nd in front of one of the sport’s all-time legends.

Sifan Hassan struggled to get in shape after a four-month post Olympic break, but is happy with where she is at moving forward

Kevin Morris photo

Hassan repeatedly fell back at the drinks stations during the first half of the race, which she said was due to a breathing issue. Ultimately, however, that is not why Assefa won today. Assefa was simply the fitter athlete, and it’s not hard to understand why.

After their Olympic battle in Paris, Hassan took a full four months off from training, a significant break for someone at her level. Hassan felt it was necessary, given her workload in Paris and the struggles she faced returning from her Olympic triple in 2021. Hassan’s coach Tim Rowberry told me that when she did return to training in January, she was completely out of shape and it was not until the end of Ramadan (March 29) that her fitness really started to come around. Her eight-month gap between races was her longest since her post-Olympic break after Tokyo.

“I’m in good shape but I think I need some competition,” Hassan said. “For me, [eight] months no competition, I think my body is going to forget how to push myself hard. But I’m really grateful after Olympics, coming back. Because after Tokyo, I had almost a year of crashing. This is great.”

Now Hassan’s focus will shift back to the track, where she said she would like to run the 1500m (among other distances).

“I want to take a rest for three weeks, then I’ll go back to work towards my track season,” Hassan said.

Eilish McColgan proud to call herself a marathoner at last

McColgan was meant to debut in London two years ago, when she was in the form of her life, running British records in the 10,000 (30:00) and half marathon (65:43) that spring. But she had to withdraw just two days before the race due to a knee injury, a devastating blow.

McColgan, 34, admitted she was not quite as fit this time around but was pleased to have finished the race in 2:24:25, toughing it out with a 73:44 second half after an aggressive 70:44 opening split.

“I was coming in probably a little bit underprepared, a little bit undercooked because I was just desperate to make the start line,” McColgan said. “I didn’t want to make the same mistake again where I’ve pushed too much and I’ve done too much mileage and I’ve ended up not making it.”

Moving forward, McColgan plans to remain focused on the roads, but said she may have to return to the track in 2026 as she wants to run the Commonwealth Games on home soil in Glasgow and there is no longer a Commonwealth Games marathon.

Talk about the 2025 London on our world-famous messageboard:

• Official 2025 London Marathon Live Discussion Thread Sawe and Assefa (2:15:50) are your champs.
• Sabastian MF Sawe He used a 4:18 20th mile to take the lead and won by more than a minute
• Sawe’s backstory?
• Kipchoge post-London Interview
• Jakob vs triathlete Alex Yee in a marathon: who wins? Yee ran 2:11:08 after going out in 64:19.
• What will sirpoc84 run in London?
• The Trials and Tribulations of Running YouTubers
• London Marathon – YouTubers Getting Destroyed
• Cole MF Gibbens
• Eliud Kipchoge will win the London Marathon He didn’t win but ran respectactly, finishing 6th in 2:05:25
• Alex Maier WINS Dusseldorf Marathon in 2:08:33

2025 London Marathon: Sabastian Sawe Makes a Statement with Dominant 2:02:25 Victory Sawe broke the race open with an unofficial 4:16 for his 20th mile (13:56 from 30-35k), while Jacob Kiplimo finished 2nd in his debut in 2:03:37. Eliud Kipchoge was 6th in 2:05:25.