Athletics: the women’s world record falls at the London Marathon
Since 2021, World Athletics has recognised two types of world record in the women’s marathon. One, known as the women’s-only record, applies to races where only women take part. The other, known as the “mixed” or “overall” record, applies to races where men and women run together, and where male pacemakers are permitted. The London Marathon is a women’s-only race, because the elite women set off 35 minutes before the men, and so effectively run the course on their own, said Rick Broadbent in The Times. In this year’s marathon, which took place on Sunday, Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya set a new women’s-only record with a time of 2hr 16min 16sec. The 30-year-old shaved more than 40 seconds off the previous best, set by Mary Keitany in 2017.
In truth, it was “no surprise to see Keitany’s time fall, given how loaded this field was”, said Sean Ingle in The Guardian.
Jepchirchir is the current Olympic champion. Alongside her was Tigst Assefa, of Ethiopia – who last year “smashed” the overall record when she won the Berlin Marathon in 2:11:38 – as well as several other world-class runners. The race proved to be the “longest game of cat and mouse in the 43-year history of the London Marathon”: for all but the final 600 metres, there was nothing to choose between Jepchirchir, Assefa, and two other competitors – 2021 winner Joyciline Jepkosgei, and last year’s runner-up, Megertu Alemu. But with a brilliant sprint down the Mall, Jepchirchir moved clear of all three. Assefa could only finish second, seven seconds off the lead.
The men’s race was run by Kenyan debutant Alexander Munyao, in 2:04:01, said Jim White in The Daily Telegraph. Yorkshireman Emile Cairess finished third, to become the “first Briton to stand on the finishing podium in 31 years”.