Peres Jepchirchir, the reigning Olympic champion, demonstrated her impressive sprinting abilities as she pulled ahead of the competition in the final stages of the women’s elite race at the London Marathon on Sunday. She crossed the finish line in a time of 2:16:16, shattering Mary Keitany’s women-only record by 45 seconds, which was set at the 2017 London Marathon.
Just behind Jepchirchir was Tigst Assefa, who currently holds the title of fastest woman in history after her win in Berlin last September. Joyciline Jepkosgei, last year’s winner, finished in third place.
The race saw some excitement as Olympic silver medallist Brigid Kosgei lost touch with the leaders early on. However, six women broke away just after the halfway point, leaving only four athletes in the front group.
In the final kilometer, Megertu Alemu tried to keep up with Jepchirchir and Assefa but fell short. Despite some obstacles as she attempted to accelerate, Jepchirchir’s finishing kick secured her sixth win out of seven marathons she has competed in. Her only defeat came last year in London.
Meanwhile, Alexander Mutiso Munyao of Kenya claimed victory in the men’s elite race, while running legend Kenenisa Bekele finished in second place at age 41. The men’s race can be streamed live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and through their official app. Stay tuned for more updates on London Marathon and its elite athletes’ performances!
