Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir stormed to victory in a women’s only world-record time of two hours 16 minutes and 16 seconds in the London Marathon.
World record holder Tigst Assefa, Megertu Alemu, also of Ethiopia, and Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei also beat the previous women’s only record of 2:17:01, set by Mary Keitany in 2017.
Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso held off distance-running great Kenenisa Bekele to win the men’s race in 2:04:01.
The British duo of Emile Cairess and Mahamed Mahamed finished third and fourth.
Cairess’ time of 2:06:46 makes him the second-fastest British man of all-time over the distance and the first to finish on the podium since Mo Farah in 2018.
Both Cairess and Mahamed are now set to go to this summer’s Olympics after finishing well under the qualifying time of 2:08:10.
The field for the women’s race was considered one of the best ever assembled with three of the four fastest women in history competing.
They were on track for women’s only record — a record for a marathon run on a course without any male athletes in the race - throughout with the leading pack immediately putting distance between themselves and the rest of the field.
When the lead group began to thin it was Jepchirchir, Assefa, Jepkosgei and Alemu left standing.
They stayed together until Jepchirchir kicked for home in the last few hundred metres and the 30-year-old Kenyan was able to see off Assefa to win in London for the first time.
Men’s results
1. Alexander Mutiso (Ken) - 2:04:01
2. Kenenisa Bekele (Eth) - 2:04:15
3. Emile Cairess (GB) - 2:06:46
4. Mahamed Mahamed (GB) - 2:07:05
Women results
1. Peres Jepchirchir (Ken) - 2:16:16
2. Tigst Assefa (Eth) - 2:16:23
3. Joyciline Jepkosgei (Ken) - 2:16:24
4. Mergutu Alemu (Eth) - 2:16:34
