Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya shattered the women’s only marathon world record by winning the London Marathon in 2 hours, 16 minutes, 16 seconds on Sunday.
In the men’s race, Kenyan Alexander Mutiso broke away from 41-year-old Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele in the last three miles to win by 14 seconds in 2:04:15 for his first major marathon title.
Jepchirchir, 30, lowered the women’s only record of 2:17:01 set by countrywoman Mary Keitany at the 2017 London Marathon.
The 13 fastest women’s marathon times in history — led by Ethiopian Tigst Assefa’s world record 2:11:53 from last September — were all run in races where either the men’s and women’s races overlapped or men were among pacers for the women’s race.
LONDON MARATHON: Results
In London, the elite women started 35 minutes before the elite men.
Assefa finished second on Sunday, seven seconds behind Jepchirchir, followed by Joyciline Jepkosgei one second later.
In an eight-month span in 2021 and 2022, Jepchirchir became the only person to win the Olympic, Boston and New York City marathons in a career.
She then withdrew before the New York City Marathon due to injury in 2022 and 2023, while finishing third in the April 2023 London Marathon in between.
Her win Sunday boosts her chances to make Kenya’s three-woman team for the Paris Olympics and bid to become the first woman to repeat as Olympic marathon gold medalist.
Hellen Obiri, the reigning New York City and Boston Marathon winner, is the only other Kenyan woman to win one of the six annual World Marathon Majors over the last year.
The next major marathon is the Paris Olympic marathon on the last two days of the Games — Aug. 10 for the men and Aug. 11 for the women.
