Latest news with #Kiplimo
Japan Today
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Japan Today
Kenyan runner Sawe wins London Marathon after solo breakaway; Asssefa takes women's race
Sabastian Sawe of Kenya reacts after he crossed the line to win the men's race at the London Marathon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali) By MATTIAS KAREN Running his first major marathon in unusually warm temperatures, Sabastian Sawe made it look easy. The Kenyan runner made a solo breakaway with more than 10 kilometers left and never looked like wavering in the sunshine as he cruised to victory in the London Marathon on Sunday. Sawe pulled away from a leading group of nine runners about 90 minutes into the race and finished in 2 hours, 2 minutes and 27 seconds. Sawe made his move when his rivals slowed down at a drinks station — opting not to take any water despite temperatures that crept toward 18 C as the elite runners were finishing. 'I saw that was my opportunity to push,' Sawe said. 'And I ran well.' So well that the only rival who was able to give chase was Jacob Kiplimo, the half marathon world record holder who was making his full marathon debut. But Kiplimo was never able to get close to erasing the gap, and the Ugandan finished 70 seconds back in second place. While Sawe is the fourth Kenyan runner in a row to win the men's race in London, he is a relatively new name to the marathon scene. The 29-year-old Sawe's only previous marathon win came in Valencia in 2024. This was his first start in one of the six marathon 'majors' — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City — but it's unlikely to be his last. 'It does give me hope that in the future, the marathon will be so important to me, and be so easy for me,' he said. Sawe said he was a late bloomer as he focused on education in his youth before becoming a full-time runner. 'I think the secret is training well, with discipline and focus, and trusting the process,' he said. Kiplimo's debut had been much anticipated after he shattered the half marathon world record by 48 seconds in Barcelona in February, becoming the first runner to break 57 minutes. Kiplimo said he felt a bit of cramping during the race but was pleased with his performance. 'I'm so excited about what I did today,' Kiplimo said, adding that he realized he didn't have a chance of catching Sawe. 'I knew that Sawe had already left. ... Unfortunately the gap was a little bit big.' In a tight sprint for third place, defending champion Alexander Mutiso of Kenya beat Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands in a photo finish. In the women's race, Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia secured her first London Marathon title after pulling away from Joyciline Jepkosgei near the end. Assefa made up for second-place finishes in London and the Paris Olympics last year, finishing in 2:15:50. It was the fastest ever time in a women's-only marathon — but 25 seconds slower than the course record set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003 when it was a mixed race. The weather in London was a lot warmer this year than in 2024, which Assefa said was to her advantage. 'Last year I did have some problems with the cold, my hamstring tightened up toward the end of the race,' Assefa said through an interpreter. 'This year the weather suited me really well.' Assefa adds this win to two previous Berlin Marathon titles. Jepkosgei, the 2021 London winner, was almost three minutes back after tiring near the end. Olympic champion Sifan Hassan fell behind about halway through the race and finished third, 3:10 behind. Six-time Paralympic champion Catherine Debrunner defended her title in the women's wheelchair race for a third London victory, beating her own course record by finishing in 1:34:18 — just two seconds off the world record she set at the Berlin marathon in 2023. American Susannah Scaroni was second and Debrunner's compatriot Manuela Schar third. Defending champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men's wheelchair race after holding off Japanese challenger Tomoki Suzuki. Hug finished in 1:25:25, 44 seconds ahead of Suzuki. Jetze Plat of the Netherlands was third, while eight-time London Marathon winner David Weir of Britain settled for sixth. © Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Eyewitness News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Eyewitness News
Kenya's Sawe wins men's London marathon
LONDON - Kenya's Sabastian Sawe produced a blistering performance to beat a star-studded field and win the men's London marathon in a time of 2hr 02min 27sec on Sunday. The 29-year-old, who won the Valencia marathon last December, came home alone in blazing sunshine ahead of Uganda's world half-marathon record holder Jacob Kiplimo. Defending champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao edged Abdi Nageeye for third in a photo finish, while four-time champion Eliud Kipchoge finished sixth. At the halfway mark, the lead group, which included Kipchoge, Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and Kiplimo, timed outside world record pace at 1:01:30. Kipchoge, though, was dropped as the runners approached the 90-minute mark. It was at the drinks station shortly after that that Sawe made the decisive break. Unlike the other,s he did not take a drink and stole a march on them. Kiplimo was caught unawares as he was at the back of the group, but the 24-year-old battled through to suggest his day will come. Sawe, though, never had a concern from that moment on, looking fresh as a daisy as he broached the winner's tape on the Mall in the shadow of Buckingham Palace.
Yahoo
26-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will 'greatest' London Marathon line-ups break records?
Will records be broken? That is the big question before this year's London Marathon. Race director Hugh Brasher declared the event's 45th edition had "the greatest elite fields in the history of the London Marathon" after a stellar line-up was announced in January. Despite the late withdrawal of women's world record holder Ruth Chepngetich and 2024 champion Peres Jepchirchir, the women's race still features the second and third fastest athletes of all time. That includes Sifan Hassan, one of four reigning Olympic and Paralympic marathon champions contesting this year's event, who returns for the first time since her remarkable comeback victory on debut in 2023. Two of the five fastest men in history line up in the men's race, led by record four-time champion Eliud Kipchoge, while half marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo will make his eagerly anticipated debut over 26.2 miles. Meanwhile, the elite wheelchair events feature Swiss athletes Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner - the world and course record holders. So who will win - and will they secure a piece of history and a lucrative bonus? A course record in the men's (2:01:25) or women's (2:16:16) elite fields is worth an additional $25,000 (£19,000), while anyone breaking a world record (2:00:35 men, 2:16:16 women) will receive $125,000 (£94,000). 'Once a fool to become an expert' - Yee set for marathon debut London Marathon 2025 - everything you need to know In an elite men's race featuring 10 men to have run a marathon in under two hours and five minutes, could it be a debutant who steals the limelight? Uganda's Kiplimo, 24, became the first person to run a half marathon in under 57 minutes in February, clocking 56:42 to shatter the previous mark by 48 seconds in Barcelona. That performance has convinced many that he could become the first person to break the two-hour barrier in a competitive marathon, after Kipchoge proved that was possible in controlled conditions in 2019. "I think it is going to be the most fascinating debut ever," said Brasher. "Do I think he could be the athlete that runs under two hours? Yes. But let's see what happens on Sunday." Speaking to BBC Sport, Kiplimo said: "I have seen a lot of people saying I will be the one to run under two hours. On Sunday, it is about how my body will feel. "I will do my best. I can't say now, I have not yet felt the feelings for a marathon. Maybe, [I will know] when I am done with London on Sunday." Kiplimo will be joined by distance-running great and two-time Olympic champion Kipchoge, whose official personal best stands at 2:01:09. The Kenyan, who last raced in London when he earned his fourth victory in 2019, told BBC Sport he can "absolutely" win again - and believes a sub-two hour marathon "will not be far [away]". "The only thing is for people to accept to try, dare to try and dare to entertain. I have shown them the way to make history. I think in the near future we will look at someone who is running under two hours," Kipchoge said. The 40-year-old added he still had "some races to run" before the end of his career, adding: "I am still hungry to inspire someone somewhere. I am really motivated to train every day, to showcase and tell people to make this world a running world." Reigning champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao, 28, said he was "happy running with the strongest field ever" as he prepares to defend his title, with Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and Sabastian Sawe - the fifth fastest man of all time - also present. The late Kelvin Kiptum's 2023 men's course record is 2:01:25, while the Kenyan's world record stands at 2:00:35. Despite the absences of Chepngetich and Jepchirchir, the sight of former world record holder Tigst Assefa and Hassan on the start line means hopes of a new women's record are far from over. The elite women race separately in London, meaning the time to beat is Jepchirchir's 2024 London winning time of 2:16:16, which also stands as the women's-only world record. Both Assefa and Hassan have run faster than that. Ethiopia's Assefa smashed the mixed world record in 2023 by running 2:11:53 in Berlin and has suggested similar could be possible this year. "I did a half marathon in December and that was a test," she said. "My preparation for this race is good and I feel like I'm in better shape than I was in Berlin." Meanwhile, it is never dull when Hassan is involved. The 32-year-old Dutch star won on her debut in London two years ago despite stopping at the roadside mid-race to stretch out a hip injury while her rivals ran away from her - and still ran 2:18:33. Hassan achieved Olympic gold last summer in similarly dramatic fashion, appearing to fade from contention before battling past Assefa in a spectacular sprint finish to add to her bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m on the track. Her personal best of 2:13:44 - set at the 2023 Chicago Marathon - puts her third on the all-time list of fastest female marathoners and she spoke about wanting to break the 2:10 barrier earlier this year, something only Chepngetich has achieved. Speaking on Friday, she added: "In the marathon, whether you like it or not you will push. "Running the marathon teaches you to push. "I will do my best. I am getting nervous - that is good. When I get nervous I do well." In Emile Cairess' injury-enforced absence, Mahamed Mahamed and Philip Sesemann - respectively the third and fifth-fastest British marathon runners of all-time - will hope to shine. The 27-year-old Mahamed, fourth behind Cairess last year, told BBC Sport: "As an athlete you always want to push to the next level. If a medal comes, it comes. On the day anything can happen." There will be plenty of attention on Olympic and world triathlon champion Alex Yee as he makes his debut, while Jonny Mellor, Dewi Griffiths and Weynay Ghebresilasie have all run under 2:10. Eilish McColgan makes her marathon debut after injury forced her to withdraw in 2023. The Scot, 34, has mother Liz's personal best of 2:26:52 as a target, while Steph Twell's Scottish record is a fraction quicker at 2:26:40. "I would love to break my mum's PB; the Scottish record is a touch quicker - they would be loose goals," McColgan told BBC Sport. "I would love to be the top Brit home and be relatively competitive in what is one of the strongest women's fields in the history of marathon running." She is joined on the elite start line by Charlotte Purdue, Rose Harvey and Phily Bowden, who have all previously run under 2:26. Eight-time champion David Weir is one of six Britons in the elite wheelchair men's field, while Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who finished fourth in Monday's Boston Marathon, is joined by multiple Paralympic medallist and London debutant Sammi Kinghorn and Jade Jones-Hall in the women's wheelchair race.
BBC News
26-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Will 'greatest' London Marathon line-ups break records?
Will records be broken? That is the big question before this year's London director Hugh Brasher declared the event's 45th edition had "the greatest elite fields in the history of the London Marathon" after a stellar line-up was announced in the late withdrawal of women's world record holder Ruth Chepngetich and 2024 champion Peres Jepchirchir, the women's race still features the second and third fastest athletes of all includes Sifan Hassan, one of four reigning Olympic and Paralympic marathon champions contesting this year's event, who returns for the first time since her remarkable comeback victory on debut in of the five fastest men in history line up in the men's race, led by record four-time champion Eliud Kipchoge, while half marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo will make his eagerly anticipated debut over 26.2 miles. Meanwhile, the elite wheelchair events feature Swiss athletes Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner - the world and course record who will win - and will they secure a piece of history and a lucrative bonus?A course record in the men's (2:01:25) or women's (2:16:16) elite fields is worth an additional $25,000 (£19,000), while anyone breaking a world record (2:00:35 men, 2:16:16 women) will receive $125,000 (£94,000). 'Most fascinating debut ever' In an elite men's race featuring 10 men to have run a marathon in under two hours and five minutes, could it be a debutant who steals the limelight? Uganda's Kiplimo, 24, became the first person to run a half marathon in under 57 minutes in February, clocking 56:42 to shatter the previous mark by 48 seconds in performance has convinced many that he could become the first person to break the two-hour barrier in a competitive marathon, after Kipchoge proved that was possible in controlled conditions in 2019. "I think it is going to be the most fascinating debut ever," said Brasher."Do I think he could be the athlete that runs under two hours? Yes. But let's see what happens on Sunday."Speaking to BBC Sport, Kiplimo said: "I have seen a lot of people saying I will be the one to run under two hours. On Sunday, it is about how my body will feel. "I will do my best. I can't say now, I have not yet felt the feelings for a marathon. Maybe, [I will know] when I am done with London on Sunday." Kiplimo will be joined by distance-running great and two-time Olympic champion Kipchoge, whose official personal best stands at 2:01: Kenyan, who last raced in London when he earned his fourth victory in 2019, told BBC Sport he can "absolutely" win again - and believes a sub-two hour marathon "will not be far [away]"."The only thing is for people to accept to try, dare to try and dare to entertain. I have shown them the way to make history. I think in the near future we will look at someone who is running under two hours," Kipchoge 40-year-old added he still had "some races to run" before the end of his career, adding: "I am still hungry to inspire someone somewhere. I am really motivated to train every day, to showcase and tell people to make this world a running world."Reigning champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao, 28, said he was "happy running with the strongest field ever" as he prepares to defend his title, with Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and Sabastian Sawe - the fifth fastest man of all time - also late Kelvin Kiptum's 2023 men's course record is 2:01:25, while the Kenyan's world record stands at 2:00:35. Hassan and Assefa renew rivalry Despite the absences of Chepngetich and Jepchirchir, the sight of former world record holder Tigst Assefa and Hassan on the start line means hopes of a new women's record are far from elite women race separately in London, meaning the time to beat is Jepchirchir's 2024 London winning time of 2:16:16, which also stands as the women's-only world record. Both Assefa and Hassan have run faster than Assefa smashed the mixed world record in 2023 by running 2:11:53 in Berlin and has suggested similar could be possible this year."I did a half marathon in December and that was a test," she said."My preparation for this race is good and I feel like I'm in better shape than I was in Berlin."Meanwhile, it is never dull when Hassan is 32-year-old Dutch star won on her debut in London two years ago despite stopping at the roadside mid-race to stretch out a hip injury while her rivals ran away from her - and still ran 2:18: achieved Olympic gold last summer in similarly dramatic fashion, appearing to fade from contention before battling past Assefa in a spectacular sprint finish to add to her bronze medals in the 5,000m and 10,000m on the personal best of 2:13:44 - set at the 2023 Chicago Marathon - puts her third on the all-time list of fastest female marathoners and she spoke about wanting to break the 2:10 barrier earlier this year, something only Chepngetich has on Friday, she added: "In the marathon, whether you like it or not you will push. "Running the marathon teaches you to push. "I will do my best. I am getting nervous - that is good. When I get nervous I do well." Who will lead British challenge? In Emile Cairess' injury-enforced absence, Mahamed Mahamed and Philip Sesemann - respectively the third and fifth-fastest British marathon runners of all-time - will hope to 27-year-old Mahamed, fourth behind Cairess last year, told BBC Sport: "As an athlete you always want to push to the next level. If a medal comes, it comes. On the day anything can happen."There will be plenty of attention on Olympic and world triathlon champion Alex Yee as he makes his debut, while Jonny Mellor, Dewi Griffiths and Weynay Ghebresilasie have all run under 2:10. Eilish McColgan makes her marathon debut after injury forced her to withdraw in Scot, 34, has mother Liz's personal best of 2:26:52 as a target, while Steph Twell's Scottish record is a fraction quicker at 2:26:40."I would love to break my mum's PB; the Scottish record is a touch quicker - they would be loose goals," McColgan told BBC Sport."I would love to be the top Brit home and be relatively competitive in what is one of the strongest women's fields in the history of marathon running."She is joined on the elite start line by Charlotte Purdue, Rose Harvey and Phily Bowden, who have all previously run under 2: champion David Weir is one of six Britons in the elite wheelchair men's field, while Eden Rainbow-Cooper, who finished fourth in Monday's Boston Marathon, is joined by multiple Paralympic medallist and London debutant Sammi Kinghorn and Jade Jones-Hall in the women's wheelchair race.
Indian Express
25-04-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Why Jacob Kiplimo's debut at London marathon is so highly anticipated
Ugandan Jacob Kiplimo dropped jaws in Barcelona two months ago when he ran 13.1 miles in 56min 42sec – a half marathon time nearly 48 seconds quicker than anyone. The 24-year-old will be in London on Sunday, for his first full marathon, and London race director Hugh Brasher, is dangling prospects of a sub-2 hour run to hype up his race. 'I think it's going to be the most fascinating debut ever,' Brasher told Guardian. 'Is it feasible that he could take Kelvin Kiptum's record as the fastest debutant? Without a doubt. Do I think he could one day be the athlete that runs under two hours? Yes. But let's see what happens on Sunday.' Kiplimo competed over 5,000m as a 15-year-old prodigy at the 2016 Rio Olympics, coming from an impoverished upbringing on a farm in Kween, 1500m above sea level on the Mount Elgon volcano. But two of his step-brothers from three mothers in all, Robert Chermonges and Victor Kiplangat, went sub 2hr 10min marathoners – as Jacob took over. 'We were helping our brothers, the big brothers,' Guardian quoted him as saying. 'They were running and we kept seeing them when they were training. And one day, I tell them, I want to become like you. So I just kept training, training. This was when I was around 10 or 11.' Spotted and brought to Italy to train for the 2016 Olympics by coach, Giuseppe Giambrone, Jacob recalled being told by the Italian, 'you will be one of the greatest runners in the world.' His 5000 ended in the semi-finals, but Olympics was a huge experience. His vest came before supershoes: 5,000m in 13:19.54 and the 10,000m in 27:26.28, according to Guardian. But he lacked a great sprint finish which meant he only had bronzes in 10000 besides two senior world cross country titles. The phalanx assembled for London on Subday includes Eliud Kipchoge, the greatest of all time, Olympic champion, Tamirat Tola, last year's winner, Alexander Mutiso and second fastest debutant Sabastian Sawe, a late bloomer at 30 who ran 2:02:05 to win the Valencia marathon in December. 'I am ready to compete,' Kiplimo said after running around 75-90 miles a week during his track career to more like 125-135 for the marathon. 'The leading pack is likely to go through halfway in 61min, giving scope for Kiplimo to run a negative split and chase down Kiptum's world record of 2:00:35. A following wind for the second half of the race will help, although the forecast may be a little warm,' Guardian wrote. Asked whether he could one day break two hours for the marathon, Kiplimo said, 'Yes, of course. Maybe in the future. But I'm just focusing on my debut. If this one goes well, then maybe I will be the guy to make it.'
