Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa yesterday set a women’s only world record of 2 hours, 15 minutes, 50 seconds as she won the London Marathon, while Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe put a star-studded men’s field to the sword.
For 28-year-old Assefa it was ample compensation for finishing runner-up in London and the Paris Olympics last year — especially as bitter Dutch rival, the Ethiopia-born Sifan Hassan, finished third.
Assefa dropped Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei as the race, played out in blazing sunshine and with thousands lining the route, entered its business end.
Photo: AFP
She came home almost three minutes clear of the Kenyan. Hassan, who beat her in an ill-tempered finish to the Olympic race last year, was well adrift in third.
“I was second last year, so to win here this year is very special,” she told the BBC speaking through an interpreter. “Last year I had trouble with the cold weather and my hamstirng tightened up. This year suited me much more and found it a lot easier.”
Sawe made the decisive break at a drinks station as they reached the 90-minute mark and he gave Kenya their fourth successive win in the men’s race timing 2:02:27.
Photo: EPA-EFE
The 29-year-old, who won the Valencia Marathon in December last year, came home alone 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.
Britain’s Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee finished a highly creditable 14th on his debut.
“I am very happy to have won a major marathon,” Sawe said. “I was well prepared for this that is why I was so relaxed and confident. Now this gives me hope that further success in marathons will come.”
There was a Swiss double in the wheelchair category — Marcel Hug and Olympic champion Catherine Debrunner winning the men and women’s titles respectively.
For Hug, 39, it was his seventh London crown and fifth successive victory. For 30-year-old Debrunner it represented her second consecutive win and third overall.
SSC Napoli will have to wait one more week to seal the Serie A title after on Sunday being held to a goalless draw at Parma, while closest rivals Inter drew 2-2 in a dramatic game with SS Lazio. Antonio Conte’s team stayed one point ahead of Inter and were unfortunate not to win after twice striking the woodwork through Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa and Matteo Politano, while Scott McTominay also had a free-kick tipped onto the crossbar. The away side thought they would be handed a chance to take the points from the penalty spot in the 96th minute when David Neres
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jack Hinshelwood on Monday sealed a dramatic 3-2 victory against Liverpool to leave the English Premier League champions without a win since clinching the title. Arne Slot’s side took the lead through Harvey Elliott’s early opener before Yasin Ayari equalized at the American Express Stadium. Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool’s advantage just before halftime, but Brighton staged a late fightback as Kaoru Mitoma leveled before Hinshelwood came off the bench to net with his first touch. Liverpool have taken just one point from their three matches following the title-clinching rout of Tottenham Hotspur on April 27. The Reds have lost at
Logan O’Hoppe, Taylor Ward and Matthew Lugo homered, and the Los Angeles Angels spoiled Clayton Kershaw’s season debut, beating the Los Angeles Dodgers 11-9 on Saturday night to take the first two games of the three-game series. Kershaw allowed three runs and threw 38 pitches in the first inning. The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner lasted four innings, giving up five runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts. Shoulder, toe and knee injuries limited Kershaw to seven games last season, and his 2025 debut was delayed as he recovered from multiple offseason surgeries. O’Hoppe had two hits with