Peres Jepchirchir made history as she set a new women’s only London Marathon record with a time of 2:16:16, surpassing Mary Jepkosgei Keitany’s previous record of 2:17:01 set in 2017. The Kenyan, who is the reigning Olympic champion, led the race down Pallamar. Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa finished in second place, just seven seconds behind Jepchirchir, while 2021 winner Joyciline Jepkosgei came in third. Brigid Kosgei, the Olympic silver medallist, fell behind the lead pack midway through the race.
Jepchirchir expressed her gratitude and happiness for her victory and new record, stating that she was not expecting to break the record but had been working hard for the win. She is thrilled to have qualified for the Olympics and is looking forward to defending her title in Paris. Despite the challenge she expects at the Olympics, she is determined to give her best performance.
In the men’s race, Alexander Mutiso Munyao of Kenya emerged victorious with a time of 2:04:01, edging out veteran Kenenisa Bekele. British duo Emile Cairess and Mahamed Mahamed finished in third and fourth place, with Cairess setting the second-fastest time for a British man in the marathon. Both Cairess and Mahamed have qualified for the Olympics in Paris this summer after finishing ahead of the required time of 2:08:10.
Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland won the women’s wheelchair event in 1:38:52, while Marcel Hug claimed his fifth London Marathon title in the men’s wheelchair race with a time of 1:28:33. British athlete David Weir finished third in the men’s wheelchair event. The Tokyo Olympics may have just concluded, but the excitement for the next Games in Paris 2024 is already building up, and sports fans can look forward to following the action live on Eurosport and discovery+.
