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Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir captures women-only record at London Marathon

An incredibly close race on the women's side led to four runners dipping under the previous women-only record of 2:17:02

Peres Jepchirchir Photo by: Kevin Morris
April 21, 2024
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Sunday’s London Marathon was as exciting for fans as it was for runners, with a sprint finish on the women’s side as reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir stormed to a new women-only course record of 2:16:16 (bettering the previous record of 2:17:02 set by Mary Keitany at the 2017 London Marathon). 

(The women-only category refers to a race where women run without any male athletes in competition or as pacers, which is the case in London, since women and men start at different times.) Paula Radcliffe’s course record of 2:15:25, set in a mixed race in 2003, remains intact for now.

There were also some startling results in the men’s race; with only three kilometres to go, Kenya’s Alexander Munyao took the lead, crossing the line in 2:04:01 and denying Ethiopian distance legend Kenenisa Bekele a hoped-for first London Marathon win. Bekele did, however, set a new masters marathon record with his time of 2:04:15, bettering his own record of 2:04:19 (from the Valencia Marathon in 2023). Britain’s Emile Cairess ran consistently to take third in 2:06:46, making him the second-fastest British marathon runner of all time after Mo Farah and earning himself a spot on the start line for Team GB at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Women’s race

With a stacked elite lineup that included three out of the top four women marathoners in history, the possibility of a new women-only record was much discussed in the build-up to Sunday’s race. Jepchirchir (who took third in the 2023 London Marathon and won the Boston Marathon in 2022) toed the line alongside fan favourite and world record holder, Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, who ran a staggering 2:11:53 at the 2023 Berlin Marathon. Joining them was Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei, who has won the London Marathon twice (2019 and 2020) and Ruth Chepngetich, the 2019 world marathon champion. It was anyone’s guess who would take the win, and the race was exciting down to the final moments.

A lead pack that also contained Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei and Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu stuck close together for almost the entirety of the race, with Jepkosgei, Alemu, Assefa and Jepchirchir entering the final kilometre still jostling for position. Jepchirchir broke away with only a few hundred metres to go, finishing only seven seconds ahead of Assefa, who ran 2:16:23. Alemu, who finished third and second at the 2022 and 2023 London Marathon respectively, captured the final spot on the podium in 2:16:34.

“I am feeling grateful and so happy for today’s victory. I was not expecting to beat the world record. I knew we would beat it but I was not expecting it to be me,” Jepchirchir told media post-race. “I am happy to be going to the Olympics. My prayer was to be there and my prayer there is to defend my title. I know it is not going to be easy but I will try my best.”

Men’s race

Before the men’s race began, runners paid tribute to last year’s winner, Kelvin Kiptum, the world-record holder who was killed along with his coach in a car crash in February.

A video of Kiptum’s 2023 London win was played before the start of the men’s race, followed by a period of applause by the runners and the crowd. Kiptum had set a London Marathon course record of 2:01:25 in 2023, before setting the world record at last year’s Chicago Marathon.

Munyao won the 2023 Prague International Marathon in 2:05:09, setting a new course record, and can also boast the Valencia Half Marathon course record of 57:59. Bekele, the former Olympic 10,000 and 5,000m champion, finished third at the London Marathon in 2016 and was second in 2017.

“I’m happy for winning the race today which is my fastest ever marathon,” Munyao said to media post-race. “At 40 kilometres I got some pressure from Bekele but I had a lot of confidence because I trained for this race. After 40km I thought I had enough energy to win. That’s why I kicked and I knew I would win.”

Wheelchair results

Catherine Debrunner of Switzerland won her second London Marathon on Sunday, dominating the field from start to finish and breaking the tape in 1:38:54. Her compatriot, Manuela Schär, finished second, in 1:45:00 (after also finishing second at the Boston Marathon, just six days earlier) and Tatjana McFadden of the U.S. was third, in 1:45:51. Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper finished sixth after winning last week’s Boston Marathon.

The men’s podium was a repeat of last week’s Boston Marathon, with Marcel Hug winning his fourth London Marathon in a row (and his fifth altogether), breaking the tape in 1:28:35, followed by the U.S.’s Daniel Romanchuk in second place (1:29:06) and Britain’s David Weir in third (1:29:58).

For full results of the 2024 London Marathon, head here.

 

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