Tigst Assefa Shatters Women's-Only World Record at 2025 London Marathon

Sunday, 27 April 2025

Tigst Assefa dominated the 2025 London Marathon on Sunday, winning the women’s elite race in a new women's-only world record of 2:15:48. The 28-year-old Ethiopian launched an aggressive run early and had the strength to see it through, cutting 28 seconds off the previous mark.

View London Marathon Results

From the gun, Assefa signaled her intent. Alongside Sifan Hassan, Joyciline Jepkosgei, and Megertu Alemu, she blasted through the opening 5K in 15:34—well ahead of schedule for a record attempt. The pace barely relented through 10K, split in 31:17, with Assefa confidently tucked behind the pacemakers and looking the most comfortable.

Alemu was the first casualty from the front pack shortly after 15K. Despite Hassan’s erratic running style and brief gaps, the Olympic champion stayed within striking distance at halfway, trailing Assefa and Jepkosgei by just 10 seconds as they crossed 13.1 miles in 1:06:40.

The real separation came after 30K. Hassan could no longer hang on, eventually slipping more than two minutes behind the leaders. Assefa and Jepkosgei stayed locked in a fierce duel until 35K, but it was Assefa who made the decisive move with just under 7K to go.

Powering away with a 5:03 mile late in the race, Assefa crushed any hopes of a comeback from Jepkosgei, arriving alone on The Mall. With a final burst of speed, she stopped the clock at 2:15:48, breaking the women's-only record and falling to her knees in celebration.

Jepkosgei held on for second in 2:18:41, while Hassan, never one to quit, surged late to finish third, just 16 seconds behind Jepkosgei.

Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing London course record survived the assault, but Assefa left no doubt: she’s now the queen of women’s-only marathon running.

Eilish McColgan finished eighth on her marathon debut, smashing the Scottish record with a time of 2:24:24. According to Steve Cram, that performance places her seventh on the British all-time list. Exhausted, she bent over with her hands on her knees after crossing the line. Compatriot Rose Harvey followed shortly after, sprinting to try and dip under the 2:25 mark in a tight finish.

Leading Women's Results