Assefa denies Obiri London Marathon title in women's-only world record time
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Reading Time: 2min | Sun. 26.04.26. | 15:20
Pushed along by pacemakers, they tore through the halfway mark in 1:06:12, well inside world record pace, and by 15km, they were already threatening to rewrite history
Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa delivered a ruthless masterclass at the London Marathon, breaking her own women ’s-only world record to deny Kenya the top spot on Sunday, 26 April.
Assefa stormed to the title in 2:15:41, shaving nine seconds off the 2:15:50 mark she set on the same course last year.
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Behind her, Kenya’s Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei completed a breathtaking podium sweep for Kenya, clocking 2:15:53 and 2:15:55 respectively in one of the fastest women’s races in history.
The London Marathon’s women’s race is classified as a “women ’s-only” event, run without male pacemakers, making Assefa’s performance even more remarkable.
From the gun, the trio of Assefa, Obiri, and Jepkosgei stamped their authority, pulling away early to form an elite lead pack.
Pushed along by pacemakers, they tore through the halfway mark in 1:06:12, well inside world record pace, and by 15km, they were already threatening to rewrite history.
The pace remained relentless as the kilometres ticked by, with the trio refusing to yield.
Despite a slight slowdown in the second half, the race built into a gripping three-way battle heading into the closing stages.
With the iconic finishing stretch along The Mall in sight, it was Assefa who found another gear.
The Ethiopian unleashed a devastating kick in the final 400 metres, breaking clear to defend her crown emphatically.
Obiri, however, emerged with her own piece of history.
The double marathon major champion dug deep to secure second place in 2:15:53, dipping under the previous women ’s-only world record and setting a new personal best.
Jepkosgei followed closely in third, underlining Kenya’s dominance even in defeat.
The result further cements Obiri’s reputation as one of the most consistent forces in distance running.
After her triumphs in Boston and New York, her return to London, where she won the 5,000m world title in 2017, added another elite chapter to her glittering career.
Assefa, 29, continues to build an extraordinary résumé. The victory marks her fourth World Marathon Major title, adding to wins in Berlin (2022, 2023) and London (2025, 2026).
Her 2:11:53 run in Berlin in 2023 stood as a world record at the time, before Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich lowered the global mark to 2:09:56 in 2024.