By Bonface Mulyungi

Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her London Marathon crown on Sunday, breaking her own women ‘s-only world record.

The reigning Olympic and world silver medallist was locked in a three-way tussle with Kenyan pair Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei, but pulled away in the closing stages to cross the line in a time of 2hr 15min 41sec.

That time beat by nine seconds her previous best, set on the same course last year.

Obiri, a two-time former world 5,000m champion who won marathon bronze at the 2024 Paris Olympics, came in second in a personal best of 2:15:53.She finished just two-hundredths of a second ahead of compatriot Jepkosgei.

The world record set in a mixed race where female athletes benefit from male pacemakers was by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich, who clocked 2:09:56 at the Chicago Marathon in October 2024.

Chepngetich picked up a three-year doping ban in October 2025, although achievements and records pre-dating the March 2025 sample stand.