For the second time in her career, Tigst Assefa unlaced her running trainers, had a new marathon world record time inscribed on the side and held them up like a prized trophy.
The £450 Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo ‘super shoe’ that she brought to world fame in Berlin 18 months ago has struck again, setting another world best and on the feet of both the men’s and women’s London winner for the second successive year.
Weighing in at only 138 grams, the feather-like shoe has been upgraded since Assefa dismantled the world record by almost two minutes at the 2023 Berlin Marathon and, with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race in the newer ‘Pro Evo 2’ version, she again triumphed in a pair of the originals.
Assefa’s winning time of 2h 15min 50sec was specifically for a women’s only marathon – she herself is among those who have run quicker in a mixed race – and she was also just outside the course record set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003 when she ran alongside men.
It was still an emphatic victory, particularly considering the temperatures touching 20C, with Assefa breaking clear alongside Joyciline Jepkosgei before then moving clear in the final four miles to win by almost three minutes. The Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan had lost touch earlier in the race but still finished third, ahead of the leading Briton Eilish McColgan, who ran almost the entire 26.2 mile course alone to finish eighth and surpass mum, Liz’s, Scottish record.
The moment Tigst Assefa breaks the women’s only marathon record.
2 hours, 15 minutes, 50 seconds.#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/K6ynxQjjiZ
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
Senior Adidas and Nike officials were both in London for the race, with Nike rumoured to be interested in becoming one of the main sponsors of the race. It was, however, another year in which rivals Adidas claimed the big prizes in a shoe that scientists at the German manufacturers believe is the fastest ever.
With carbon rods running through a super-responsive foam midsole – which is made from a secret compound – the Adidas ‘super shoe’ was designed between laboratory testing in Herzogenaurach and real-life feedback in Iten, Kenya. Nike, the originators of the ‘super shoe’ concept when they swept the marathon at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and then numerous marathon majors since, can still boast the men’s and women’s absolute world record, as well as Eliud Kipchoge’s famous run under two hours in an unofficial marathon.
Kipchoge, who is now 40, was back in London this year in a prototype of the Nike Alphafly 4s shoes and featured prominently at the front of the men’s race in the first half before a new generation of younger African marathon runners took charge. Jacob Kiplimo, the 24-year-old half-marathon world record holder from Uganda, was also part of the group but no one could match the Kenyan Sawe when he ignored a drink stop after 19 miles to launch his decisive attack.
Aged 30, Sawe was running just his second marathon after only starting to race internationally three years ago. His sudden acceleration included a 4min 18sec split for the 20th mile and his winning time of 2hr 2min 27sec was the second fastest in the history of the London Marathon.
We’re 100% sure it wasn’t… but Sabastian Sawe made this look so easy 🤣#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/6jMmwToghT
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
Kipchoge, the double Olympic champion, eventually finished seventh in 2hr 5mins 24sec, with Kiplimo second on his marathon debut ahead of last year’s winner Alex Mutiso in third.
Both winners praised what Sawe called a “fantastic” shoe. “Technology is very important to marathon running,” said Assefa, who is from Ethiopia. “When you are running 42km, you need all the protection you can get. The new technology in the shoes is definitely helping us.”
McColgan’s debut time of 2hr 24min 25 sec was more than two minutes quicker than her mum had run in winning the race and sealing a series of top three finishes back in the Nineties. Having seen her mother win the race when she was just five, it means that Eilish has now taken all of her long-standing Scottish distance records. Liz now coaches Eilish, who played down the comparison between their times.
“Shoe technology is a world apart from my mum’s era,” said Eilish. “We have altitude camps now and there’s the fuelling with all the drinks and gels. My mother drank water and flat coke I think to get around the marathon. I’m obviously still happy to break my mum’s record but it is different.” McColgan is now hoping to follow Radcliffe in becoming only the second British woman to dip under 2hr 20mins.
“I do believe I’m capable – this was just a little too soon,” she said. While McColgan was the fastest British runner in the women’s race, one place ahead of Rose Harvey in ninth, the leading British male runner was Mahamed Mahamed in ninth in 2hr 8min 52 sec. For the second year running, the wheelchair races finished in a Swiss double, with Catherine Debrunner breaking her own course record in the women’s race and Marcel Hug winning a seventh men’s title.
01:54 PM BST
Thanks for reading, well done to all the runners
Runners will be crossing the finish line on the Mall for the next eight hours. Well done to each and every one. The London Marathon: humbling, inspirational and unique for its fund-raising power.
That’s it from me, thanks for reading.
If you’re moved to run the 2026 London Marathon, the ballot entry system closes at 4pm on Friday 2nd May. Get yours in…
01:52 PM BST
Danny Mills, the best of the ex-footballers
John Terry is several miles from the finish on the Mall, set for a predicted 4hr 26min finish. I am assuming he is not running in full Chelsea kit. He is set to go faster than fellow ex-footballers Jack Wilshere and Steve Sidwell.
However, Danny Mills has already finished in 3hr 16m 07sec. Running runs in the family: his son George is, of course, a Team GB 1,500-metre star.
01:47 PM BST
“One of the best experiences of my life”: Yee reflects on his debut
The GB star and Olympic triathlon champion finished 14th in 2hr 11min 08sec. He spoke to the BBC afterwards:
“It was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I expected the crowd to be good but they were another level. I am so proud to have completed the marathon, you can see my legs are starting to give way [running to the finish]. It was hard at the end. My legs have never felt this sore.”
Emotions about the time I did will come afterwards, but the main thing for me was to enjoy it, experience the unknown, embrace it.”
There will be no transition to the marathon; this was an exploratory run, with his mind focused on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the triathlon.
01:42 PM BST
Sir Jason Kenny – seven Olympic gold medals and a marathon finisher
Sir Jason Kenny crosses the line in 3hr 43min 19sec. Very respectable from the cycling track sprinter. He was running in support of Sir Chris Hoy, who recently had a terminal cancer diagnosis and Tour de 4.
It is a brand new fundraising charity bike ride that aims to shine a spotlight on what a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis can look like and demonstrate that it is possible to live well and lead a happy life alongside this devastating diagnosis.
01:36 PM BST
Makes the nation laugh too. Runners spotted dressed as…
… a banana, a shark, a lion, a bumblebee, a Christmas tree, a sunflower.
And one with “never again” printed in big letters on his running shirt.
01:33 PM BST
“This makes the nation smile”
“This is one of those events that makes you like humans,” says TV presenter Helen Skelton to the BBC, mid-run. “You look around the start line and it’s so humbling, so inspiring. You have nothing to whinge about it, though it’s not going to fun or pain-free. This makes the nation smile.”
01:30 PM BST
Ranganathan approaching halfway
Runners blow kisses to the fixed TV cameras as they go over Tower Bridge. Comedian Romesh Ranganathan, running for Teenage Cancer Trust, is trotting over the landmark and pauses for a few words with the BBC:
“It feels like we’re going ok. James is pacing me, we are just trying to keep it as easy as possible.”
He is on track for five and a half hours.
01:25 PM BST
Sir Alastair Cook finishes in 3hr 16min 42sec
A very decent time from the 40-year-old former England cricket captain and opener in his maiden marathon. Now he can answer the question – what is harder, a long day at the crease batting or a marathon?
He is running to raise money for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, set up in memory of Andrew’s wife, who died in 2018 from a rare form of lung cancer. Former team-mate Sir Andrew Strauss is also taking part, set to finish just outside four hours.
01:18 PM BST
Best British finisher Eilish McColgan on her “incredible experience”
McColgan finished eighth and beat her the PB of her mother Liz, who won this race back in 1996. She has been talking to the BBC:
“I was very nervous, probably the most nervous I’ve been for any event, just purely because the distance was a complete unknown. I had never raced further than a half-marathon. But the crowd today, it’s hard to put into words, unless you’re out there. Just insane crowds.”
Asked whether she would like to repeat this experience:
“If you’d asked me just after the race, I would have said absolutely not but now I have had a bit of time to think. It was just an incredible experience. I knew my first one was always going to be tough … my main priority was make it to the finish, I can now call myself a marathoner. It got tough out there a little bit earlier than I would have liked but a really good learning experience.
As you said, I still broke my mum’s PB which was one of the big goals. We’ll have a proper debrief later. Every time I run, I feel like I’m doing it for my family and my mum.”
Well done, Eilish McColgan! 👊
She takes the Scottish record (and beats her mum’s time!) at the London Marathon. #BBCMarathon#LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/MnhiMA42IO
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
01:02 PM BST
McFly’s Harry Judd crosses the finish line
The Celebrity Race Around the World star was hoping to go under three hours, but the warm conditions did not help. His time of 3hrs 15min 20secs is eight minutes up on last year’s mark through. Music to the drummer’s ears.
Cricket great Sir Alastair Cook should be finishing in the next ten minutes and he is projected to be just a minute slower.
Is that Harry Judd we spy crossing the finish line?
Congratulations, Harry! 🤩#BBCMarathon#LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/1MUytH88ye
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
12:59 PM BST
“You can be slow or fast but you must get to the line”
Yes, your eyes do not deceive you, that is ex-Liverpool and England wing wizard John Barnes cheering on runners and handing out drinks.
12:53 PM BST
The stories of Lindsey Burrow and three other inspirational women
Lindsey Burrow is running in a shirt with a silouhette of Rob Burrow and 200 names on it – the players he played with, then her children’s names and her own.
Burrow’s husband Rob, the former England and Great Britain rugby league international, died last June aged 41, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2019.
After running in the capital today, she will run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in a fortnight’s time. Two 26.2-mile races in two weeks will be gruelling, but it is all for the cause of MND charities.
You can read more about her story and other rousing runners here.
12:45 PM BST
Inspired to enter the 2026 London Marathon?
London Marathon hopefuls can enter through the ballot for free, with successful applicants selected at random. The ballot for the 2026 London Marathon closes on Friday May 2.
Winners will earn a place in next year’s race, which will be held on April 26, 2026.
Those who choose to donate at a reduced entry fee of £49.99 – the regular fee is £79.99 – will have access to an exclusive second ballot, more than doubling their chances of getting selected.
12:39 PM BST
How are the celebrities doing?
It looks like comedian Joel Domett is leading the way, with former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook close behind. He is set to finish in a few minutes and will be close to going under three hours, according to the London Marathon app’s tracker.
Here is a list of other famous marathoners, how far they have run and their projected finishes:
- Harry Judd, 21.75 miles covered, 3hr 14min 37sec estimated finish time
- Sir Jason Kenny, 18.64 miles in, 3hr 39min 35sec
- Sir Andrew Strauss, 15.53mi, 3hr 49min 10sec
- John Terry, 15.53mi, 4hr 3min 33sec
- Joe Wicks, 6.21mi, 5hr 14min 02sec
- Alexandra Burke, 6.21mi, 5hr 19min 44sec
- Romesh Ranganathan, 9.32mi, 5hr 20min 49sec
- Kelly Brook, 9.32mi, 6hr 11min 36sec
12:31 PM BST
Cool customers
There is a fella running with a fridge on his back, raising money for the Armed Forces, emblazoned with a London Underground logo that says London Fridge, as he crosses that bridge. Another man has run from Macclesfield, starting on Monday, a marathon every day, basically while pushing a buggy.
Phenomenal efforts.
12:24 PM BST
London Marathon could become the world’s biggest
Bobbing heads galore streaming past the Cutty Sark. Six miles in, there are a fair few fresh runners. It does not get hard until later.
More than 56,000 runners are expected to cross the finish line today. London could set a record for the world’s largest marathon, currently held by New York, which had 55,646 finishers last week.
12:18 PM BST
Protestors disrupt London Marathon
The London Marathon day has not been incident-free. Two Youth Demand demonstrators disrupted the race on Tower Bridge this morning, throwing red paint on the road as the men’s front-runners came past.
The group is calling for a trade embargo on Israel. We’ve got the full story and images here.
12:14 PM BST
All praise-worthy on a sumptuous summery day
The BBC are playing a montageof runners on Tower Bridge and Cutty Sark to Fatboy Slim’s Praise You. It is a great one for motivational running music, no doubt, though M People featured even higher on my own marathon playlists. Oh, the Beeb has gone and ruined it by putting on Coldplay.
It’s approaching 20 degrees Celsius in central London. The enthusiasm of the runners interviewed is infectious, despite the hot weather.
“A beer,” says one, deadpan, when asked what he is looking forward to at the finish.
12:09 PM BST
Sawe and Assefa reflect on their victories
Sabastian Sawe speaks to the BBC:
“Today, I’m so happy. I was well-prepared for this race and that is why it became easy for me to win. It has now given me hope that the marathon will be so important and so easy to me.”
Richard Nerurkar, a marathon star and Olympian himself in the 1990s, acts as interpreter for Ethiopian Tigst Assefa:
“I was second here last year and to win here this year is very special. I am really very happy. Last year, I had some problems with the cold, my hamstring tightened up towards the end of the race. This year, the weather suited me really well.”
12:00 PM BST
A reminder of the iconic London Marathon route
Runners are all along the course. The last participants started in Greenwich and Blackheath thirty minutes ago. The route heads east into Woolwich, then back west towards Greenwich town centre, through Rotherhithe, Deptford and Bermondsey.
From there it crosses north over Tower Bridge, which signals the approximate halfway mark. The landmark is transformed into a tunnel of noise by the thronged, vocal crowds there.
Athletes then complete a circuit around Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs before the course runs west along the north bank of the Thames on Victoria Embankment past the Tower of London towards Trafalgar Square and onto the Mall where it finishes in front of Buckingham Palace.
Some of London’s most famous landmarks feature on the course.
- Cutty Sark, mile six
- Tower Bridge, mile 12
- Tower of London, mile 22
- London Eye, mile 25
- Big Ben, mile 25
- Buckingham Palace, mile 26
11:55 AM BST
Attention turns to the mass event and so many noble charity causes
So many sterling fancy dress efforts too though. “London, you’ve shown up, this crowd is absolutely unbelievable,” says a man in a blue tutu and fairy wings.
11:47 AM BST
Alex Yee’s dynamic debut
A fine run by triathlon star Alex Yee, seconds outside 2hr 11mins on his debut. He falls to the floor for a rest metres beyond the finish and gratefully takes a water bottle. He has finished just inside the top 15 while maintaining triathlon training alongside it all.
11:44 AM BST
Ninth-placed Mahamed is first British finisher
Mahamed Mahamed grits his teeth and passes a rival within the final 700 metres. Clad in fluorescent orange Puma kit, he crosses the line in 2hr 8min 50sec by my reckoning. That is a superb performance, given the five-star quality of the field.
11:43 AM BST
Mutiso finishes third in a photo finish; Kipchoge sixth
In the fight for third place, defending champion Mutiso and Nageeye sprint down the Mall and can’t be separated by the naked eye. A few centimetres will decide a few thousand pounds of prize money there.
Ah, it has been given to Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands over Alexander Mutiso Munyao. No, it has been corrected to Mutiso. That is how close it was. Meanwhile, the great Eliud Kipchoge comes in for a mid 2hr 5min finish. The 40-year-old has still got it; he never lost it.
11:39 AM BST
Sabastian Sawe wins the elite men’s London Marathon
The Kenyan raises his arms aloft and sticks out his tongue, crossing the line in 2hr 2min 25sec. He moved away around the 16-mile mark and ran negative splits. His rivals in the lead group had no answer.
There was a lot of talk about Jacob Kiplimo in the build-up, given his sub-57 world half-marathon record. Making his bow, he crosses the line in second place, 70 seconds behind Sawe. A fine debut.
We’re 100% sure it wasn’t… but Sabastian Sawe made this look so easy 🤣#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/6jMmwToghT
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
11:37 AM BST
Sawe approaches the Mall
Past Big Ben and beyond the two-hour mark for Sabastian Sawe. At 29 years of age, there is plenty of time for more marathon accolades for this talent.
However, he will not beat the course record of the late, great Kelvin Keptum, who won the 2023 London Marathon in 2hr 1min 25sec.
11:32 AM BST
Sabastian Sawe closes on victory
The Kenyan race leader is on the Victoria Embankment. He checks his watch casually and grabs his drinks bottle. His form is still there, looks like he’s out for a Sunday jog. A little over a mile to go and he can call himself a London Marathon winner.
It’ll be two marathon wins from two after triumphing in Valencia four months ago. It will not be quite as fast, but he is on track for 2hr 3sec. Ugandan debutant Jacob Kiplimo is 46 seconds down, with Munyao and Nageeye in a battle for third, 1:33 behind.
11:30 AM BST
Eilish McColgan crosses the finish line
On her marathon debut, she finishes eighth and smashes the Scottish record. 2hr 24min 24sec, I make it. Seventh on the British all-time list, according to the Beeb’s Steve Cram. She puts her hands on her haunches after crossing the line, absolutely knackered.
Compatriot Rose Harvey sprints across the line, trying to go under 2hr 25min. It was very tight.
Well done, Eilish McColgan! 👊
She takes the Scottish record (and beats her mum’s time!) at the London Marathon. #BBCMarathon#LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/MnhiMA42IO
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
11:27 AM BST
Time to get shopping…
For the shoe nerds, Tigst Assefa is wearing the previous incarnation of the £450 Adidas Pro Evos, which she first made famous while breaking the world record in 2023. They were being advertised on some retail sites back then for £2,500. Looking like an Adidas double in the men’s and women’s elite races.
11:25 AM BST
Tigst Assefa wins elite women’s London Marathon, breaking world record
She finds energy for a sprint, crossing the line in 2hrs 15mins 50secs. She falls to her knees, claps her hands with glee and smiles.
That’s a women’s only world record for the 28-year-old Ethiopian by 26 seconds. Assefa took it up early and had the stamina to set an incredible time. Paula Radcliffe’s course record survives…
Joyciline Jepkosgei comes through in 2hrs 18mins 41secs for second, with Sifan Hassan third, closing hard, just 16 seconds behind.
Here’s the emotional moment Tigst Assefa won the London Marathon🥇#BBCMarathon#LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/VGGOsp7QTy
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
11:20 AM BST
Assefa can see the finish line
As she makes the turn onto the Mall past Buckingham Palace, Assefa is streets ahead, 56 seconds in front of Kepkosgei and extending her lead with every stride.
The women’s only world record will tumble. But will Paula Radcliffe’s course record fall? It’s going to be close…
11:18 AM BST
Potential win for Adidas in the ‘super shoes’ arms race
Sabastian Sawe, who has made a major break clear just at Canary Wharf in the men’s race, is among those in the new Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 ‘super shoe’ that is claimed to be the fastest piece of footwear in running history. It will retail at £450 when it goes on general sale in August.
11:16 AM BST
Records set to fall in the women’s race
Assefa is still running smoothly down the Victoria Embankment. She is a mile away from the finish, projected for a 2:15:16 time.
Technically, Paula Radcliffe has the course record, her 2:15:25 time standing since 2003. But that was a ‘mixed’ race –ie. men and women started at the same time. So there is another women’s only record set to tumble, following the fashion for elite women starting in their own race.
The existing mark was set by Peres Jepchirchir at the 2024 London Marathon, running 2hrs 16mins 16secs.
11:11 AM BST
Tigst Assefa moves into the lead
Tigst Assefa has broken away from Jepkosgei and looks set to win. This will be a sweet revenge the former world record holder after finishing second here twelve months ago. It did not take much to get rid of her rival, given the fatigue into her legs.
Meanwhile, Sabastian Sawe has kept his foot down (figuratively), putting in a 2:40 kilometre as he increases his lead in the men’s race. Mind-boggling speed.
11:07 AM BST
Kipchoge drops back as Sawe makes his move
A sterling effort from the four-time winner but 90 minutes into this race, he has been distanced. A few more leaders are struggling to hold on.
In front, through the water station, Sabastian Sawe does not slow to grab a bottle and gains a couple of metres in the process. Two metres becomes five and now 25. The Kenyan star looks fresh as he pulls away.
11:03 AM BST
Mile 15: nine leaders in men’s race
It could be a race of attrition on the streets of London. Kiplagat falls off the pace, but big players Sawe, Tola, Kipchoge, Mutiso and Kiplimo are still there in contention.
In front, Assefa and Jepkosgei have slowed from the lightning pace of their first half. They are only fifteen minutes – three miles – from the finish on the Mall. It will feel like an eternity.
10:59 AM BST
Brit-watch: McColgan and Mahamed moving well
Eilish McColgan, who is currently seventh and first of the Brits, is well on course to better her mum Liz’s personal best and Scottish record of 2hr 26min 52sec. Her projected finish time after 30km is 2hr 22min 37secs.
Among the men, the leading Briton is Mahamed Mahamed in 14th, who has been training at night in the build up during Ramadan. He is scheduled to finish in 2hr 7min 28sec, with Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee running well and on course to finish a minute further back.
10:53 AM BST
Meanwhile in the masses race…
Tom and Jerry go round Cutty Sark. I’ve seen a man in full Mike from Monsters Inc garb too. I hope there is a prize for best fancy dress, as well as fastest fancy dress. Marathons are hard enough without running in a bulky, heavy costume.
It’s already hot out there, Kelly Brook reports mid-run for the BBC. She is running it with her husband Jeremy Parisi.
10:51 AM BST
Kipchoge showing his pedigree
Eliud Kipchoge, who is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time, prominent at the front of the lead male group. Still a long way to go, but he is back running with real authority and confidence.
The man everyone is watching, though, is Jacob Kiplimo, who has hidden towards the back of the lead group so far but is an extraordinary talent and running his first full marathon.
10:49 AM BST
A duel between Assefa and Jepkosgei in the women’s race
Hassan is 1min 10sec in arrears at the 30km split, going through a rare, crowd-light stretch of the route in Limehouse, which will not help anything.
This is surely a two-woman race now. The leaders are sharing the pace, taking it in turns to front-run.
10:44 AM BST
How are the British runners doing?
Olympian Phil Sesemann has dropped off the chase group, 2:13 behind the leaders. Compatriots Mahamed Mahamed and Weynay Ghebresilase are still in there, going strong.
Alex Yee’s debut marathon is going swimmingly so far. The Olympic triathlon champion is 2:49 behind the leaders with fellow Britons Mellor and Rowe. And to think, he is doing this race to “freshen up” his training. Stickler for punishment if you ask me (aching from a mere parkrun yesterday)…
10:41 AM BST
Men go through halfway
Tower Bridge done and dusted for the men’s leaders, cheered every step of the way. Amanal Petros injects a little pace into the ten-man front group as they go through halfway in 1hr 1min 30secs, just 42 seconds down on world record pace.
Kipchoge, Kiplimo, Sawe and Tola are all still in there, looking comfortable.
The women’s elite race has slowed slightly, as Assefa and Jepkosgei go through 17 miles, but still on course to smash the women’s only world record by two or three minutes. Hassan is now over 25 seconds down in third place.
10:32 AM BST
Catherine Debrunner wins elite women’s wheelchair race
A dominant display from the Swiss star, winning by minutes. She was mixed up in the sprint finish for the minor placing in the elite men’s races.
10:29 AM BST
They say the marathon doesn’t start until mile 20…
The ten male leaders are running fast, but grouped, likely waiting until the race’s latter third to strike. They will be at halfway in a couple of miles.
For the women, the final pacemaker has peeled off. Sifan Hassan has been further distanced and will have to stick to her pace, hoping that Assefa and Jepkosgei hit the wall and slow down later.
10:25 AM BST
McColgan is lead Briton in women’s race
Lead women Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jepkosgei now through the half marathon distance in 1hr 6min 40sec – 10 seconds clear of Sifan Hassan – and all on course to go under the existing women’s only world record. Eilish McColgan running her own race and through half way in 1hr 10min 44sec. She is eighth.
10:23 AM BST
Marcel Hug wins the elite men’s wheelchair race
The defending champion and dominant force Marcel Hug has done it. He powers down the Mall and punches the air as he crosses the finish line in 1hr 25mins 23sec. Tomoki Suzuki of Japan pushed him all the way, dropping back to finish about 45 seconds down.
A class of his own!
The moment Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race at the London Marathon 2025 🤩#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/lRsp1jUnUl
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
10:21 AM BST
Lindsey Burrow’s two marathons in two weeks
Burrow’s husband Rob, the former England and Great Britain rugby league international, died last June aged 41, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2019.
She is running in a shirt with a silouhette of Rob and 200 names on it – the players he played with, then her children’s names and her own.
After running in the capital today, she will run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in a fortnight’s time. Two 26.2-mile races in two weeks will be tough, but it is all for the cause of MND charities.
“Rob will will be at the forefront of my mind. It will be emotional but I’m looking forward to it.”
Lindsey Burrow says her late husband Rob “will be with me throughout” when she runs today ❤️#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/MW4rhJtnMD
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
10:17 AM BST
Mile 13: Hassan drops back
Shortly after getting off Tower Bridge, Sifan Hassan falls off the lead group. This time, it looks like it will be harder to close the gap. She is 80 metres back or so.
Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jepkosgei, with only one pace-maker for company. They cross halfway at 1hr 6sec 40secs, on for a women’s only world record ie. for a race where there is not a mixed men and women’s field, which can help pacing.
They are racing for a £44,000 first prize, with £23,100 for the runner-up and third-place earning £17,400. It is the same prize pot for the other elite races.
10:09 AM BST
Leaders at Cutty Sark
The men run past the masses and round Cutty Sark. Their 10km split of 28min 57sec is 15 seconds slower than the world record pace. Still very fast.
Everything is shipshape so far for pre-race favourites Alex Mutiso Munyao, Eliud Kipchoge, Tamirat Tola, Sebastian Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo in the ten-man lead group.
Leading British marathoners Mahamed Mahamed and Phil Sesemann are in a chase group 1min 5sec behind them, with Alex Yee a further 30 seconds back in another group.
10:02 AM BST
Kipchoge in the lead group of ten men
First notable aspect of the start of the men’s race is the bold start of Eliud Kipchoge, with the 40-year-old legend in the lead group of 10 who have gone through the first 5km in 14min 25sec – slightly faster than Kelvin Kiptum’s world record.
No British men have gone with the leading male group of 10, with Jacob Kiplimo’s marathon debut among the most eagerly anticipated sub-plots. He smashed the world half marathon record earlier this year – and was good enough to race in the Rio Olympics aged 15 in 2016 – and has been tipped to become the first man under two hours in an official race.
Sifan Hassan has now dropped off a lead group of four in the women’s race. They are going at an extraordinary 2hr 12min pace. Hassan did yo-yo in and out of the lead group before winning in London in 2023, but will be concerning moments nevertheless as her big rival Tigst Assefa has gone with the lead pace.
Eilish McColgan, meanwhile, has slowed in the second 5km of her race and is now running alone.
10:00 AM BST
Hassan briefly dropped as Assefa and Jepkosgei lead
Ethiopian Sigst Assefa looks a tad more comfortable as she and Jepkosgei move away from Sifan Hassan. They are minutes up on the expected pace.
Fellow early leader Alemu has been distanced, but Hassan returns to the group after dropping back to 20 metres behind for a mile or so. She is making that yo-yo style a defining characteristic.
09:56 AM BST
Hug and Debrunner lead wheelchair races
An hour into the elite wheelchair races, Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner have distanced their rivals. Tomoki Suzuki is only about five seconds down on the Swiss and chasing hard.
They will be the fastest competitors on the marathon route this year, covering the 26.2 miles in around 90 minutes. Rapid.
09:52 AM BST
Women’s only world record set to tumble
Super fast start to the women’s race, with the leaders now well inside the pace of the women’s only world record that was set last year.
Sifan Hassan, the Olympic champion and London Marathon winner, is lurking at the back of that pack. Her speed and track pedigree will make her a big favourite if she is still in sight of the leaders in the final mile. Eilish McColgan, meanwhile, has made no attempt to go with the leaders.
09:45 AM BST
Lead women through 10km at a lightning pace
The leaders have just gone through 10km (6.2 miles) in 31mins 16sec. That is on for 2:12 pace, three minutes inside the course record.
Tigst Assefa, Megertu Alemu, Sifan Hassan and Joyciline Jepkosgei are tucked behind the duo of pacemakers. Hassan is running a metre off the back of the group, perhaps not loving this pace. However, she has a history of yo-yoing and coming back with a vengeance – that’s how she won the 2023 race.
Sticking to her own pace, lead Briton Eilish McColgan has dropped off the chase pack and is running alone.
09:39 AM BST
There is that iconic image
The greats of the running world are followed by an ocean of leading amateur runners streaming over the line in Greenwich Park. With their first strides, they pack the road so not a speck of black tarmac can be seen. Awe-inspiring.
An estimated 56,000 runners will be starting their marathon efforts over the next two hours. Months, even years, of training all comes down to today. Speaking from painful experience, it is tempting to go off fast, with all the nervous energy, not to mention an early downhill stretch through Woolwich three miles in.
Thousands of runners begin the London Marathon! 🏃♂️🏃♀️
Just five big names to look out for:
⭐️ Sifan Hassan
⭐️ Eilish McColgan
⭐️ Eliud Kipchoge
⭐️ Jacob Kiplimo⭐️ Alex Yee#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/Lhu7jSzDzI
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
09:35 AM BST
The elite men and masses are off
Denise Lewis pushes the buzzer to get them underway. It’s already 13 degrees Celsius in Blackheath, with the mercury set to go ten notches higher in the capital this afternoon. Hydration, hydration and more hydration will be key.
This year’s men’s line-up has been billed as the greatest ever. Sabastian Sawe and Tamirat Tola are the favourites, with defending champion Alexander Mutiso in the mix. Four-time winner and legend Eliud Kipchoge elicits the biggest roar on the start line from fans after his name is read out last.
Here is a selection of the 45-strong men’s elite field, with their PBs:
Eliud Kipchoge (Ken, 2:01:09)
Alexander Mutiso (Ken, 2:03:11)
Sabastian Sawe (Ken, 2:02:05)
Timothy Kiplagt (Ken, 2:02:55)
Milkesa Mengesha (Eth, 2:03:17)
Tamirat Tola (Eth, 2:03:39)
Mahamed Mahamed (GB, 2:07:05)
Philip Sesemann (GB, 2:08:02)
Jonathan Mellor (GB, 2:09:06)
Jacob Kiplimo (UGA, debut)
Alex Yee (GB, debut)
09:30 AM BST
Southport fathers running to raise money for memorial playground
The fathers of two of the girls murdered in the Southport attack last summer have said their daughters will be with them in spirit as they run the London Marathon.
David Stancombe and Sergio Aguiar are running the 26.2-mile route today to raise money for projects in memory of the three girls killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Aguiar said of his nine-year-old daughter Alice: “When I’m training, I feel she is always with me. Sometimes I talk to her, tell her, you know, keep going mate, we’re going to do this together, you will be with me, always.”
09:23 AM BST
Scenes from the start
09:17 AM BST
London preparing bid for 2029 World Athletics Championships
Athletic Ventures – the joint organisation between UK Athletics (UKA), the Great Run Company and London Marathon Events – has completed a feasibility study ahead of submitting a formal expression of interest to World Athletics in September.
The bid depends on securing £45million in government support for delivery. If it comes to fruition, it would be the first time London has hosted the event since 2017, where every race was a sell-out.
UKA president Dame Denise Lewis, who is officially starting today’s London Marathon and was part of the organisational team eight years ago, said: “London 2017 showed the world what this city and this country can do.
“It was an incredible example of how we can unite behind a vision — full stadiums, global energy, and a lasting impact.”
09:13 AM BST
The elite women are off
A group of four leaders forms in the opening mile, led out by two pace-makers in pink and yellow singlets. Hassan, Asefa, Jepkosgei and Alemu are up front. A group, including McColgan, is a few hundred metres behind them.
Word is they are running a 2:15 pace. If they keep to that, they will go under Peres Jepchirchir’s course record of 2hr 16min 16sec, set last year.
Here are the starters in the elite women’s event:
Tigist Assefa (Eth, 2:11:53)
Sifan Hassan (Ned, 2:13:44)
Joyciline Jepkosgei (Ken, 2:16:24)
Megertu Alemu (Eth, 2:16:34)
Stella Chesang (Uga, 2:18:26)
Haven Hailu Desse (Eth, 2:19:29)
Susanna Sullivan (US, 2:21:56)
Charlotte Purdue (GB, 2:22:17)
Sofiia Yaremechuk (Ita, 2:23:16)
Rose Harvey (GB, 2:23:21)
Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi (Mar, 2:24:12)
Philippa Bowden (GB, 2:25:47)
Lucy Reid (GB, 2:26:37)
Emily Durgin (US, 2:26:46)
Molly Bookmyer (US, 2:28:52)
Louise Small (GB, 2:29:33)
Eilish McColgan (GB, debut)
Holly Archer (GB, debut)
09:06 AM BST
Eilish McColgan’s first marathon
The elite women toe the start line, including the willowy Eilish McColgan, making her debut after a career of contending at 5,000 and 10,000 metres. Her mother Liz won this race in 1996.
“My first memories of the London Marathon are probably sitting in the hospitality tent eating all the free food and looking at a tiny TV screen, not really understanding that my mum was in the London Marathon,” she said pre-race.
“I never, ever believed I’d be on the Start Line of the elite field, I thought I’d one day do it with the masses and do it for fun, so it feels very surreal.
08:58 AM BST
Elite wheelchair races underway
The elite men and women roll off the start line in Greenwich Park. Swiss defending champions Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner are the favourites. Let’s see how fresh five-time winner Hug is, having taken victory at the Boston Marathon a week ago. Dutchman Jetze Plat could spring a surprise.
Paralympic legend David Weir carries British hopes; the 45-year-old finished third last year.
08:57 AM BST
Celeb-watch
There are a fair few familiar faces jogging around London today.
It’s just not cricket: Sir Andrew Strauss and Sir Alistair Cook, two former England cricket captains, are running for the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Former Chelsea captain John Terry is taking part and Great Britain’s most successful Olympian, Sir Jason Kenny, also makes marathon debut.
Away from former athletes, comedian Romesh Ranganathan, presenter Chris Evans and singer Alexandra Burke are also running.
08:45 AM BST
Inspiration from start to finish
During the coverage today, we will be looking at just a few of the umpteen inspirational stories from the amateur runners in the mass start event.
Louise Butcher will be running topless after a double mastectomy in 2022 after she was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer. “I wanted to show people that we [those who have had mastectomies] don’t need to hide. It’s just scarring. There’s no boobs there,” Butcher told Telegraph Sport.
Read about her story and three more inspiring women here.
08:36 AM BST
Goosebump-giving, vibrant energy
Popped out for a coffee earlier and there were runners gathering nervously with their marathon-liveried kit bags and spectators, holding signs. Already heard a few accents from all around the world too.
London on marathon day brings out the best in everyone. The estimated 56,000 participants taking on an almighty athletic feat. The hundreds of thousands lining the route, shouting their support, handing out snacks and holding signs. (A personal wry favourite of mine which appeared at last year’s Chicago Marathon: “therapy was also an option.”)
Perhaps best of all is the event’s status as the world’s largest one-day fundraising event – £73.5 million was raised in 2024.
08:14 AM BST
Game-changing ‘super shoes’ which could make the difference
Rather like film stars turning up at the Oscars and being asked which designer made their suit or dress, the shoe of choice for London Marathon stars has been a hot topic in the build-up to the event.
‘Super shoes’ have changed the marathon-running game in the last decade, shaving minutes, not mere seconds, off existing records, with their distinctive foam midsoles, pronounced stack heights and energy-saving carbon fibre plates. It is an arms race between manufacturers, with Nike threatened to be left behind, as Telegraph Sport’s Jeremy Wilson explores in this absorbing read.
Adidas launched their Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 footwear on Thursday. At £450 and 138 grammes, it is the lightest and priciest marathon shoe in history. Contenders Tamirat Tola, Alex Mutiso and Tigst Assefa are set to wear it. Meanwhile, Puma recently released their Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 offering too.
Of course, ‘super shoes’ only go so far.
“If you are not fit enough, even with these shoes, you can’t run fast,” Eliud Kipchoge told Telegraph Sport. “First it’s the fitness. If you are physically fit and mentally fit, the technology can run with you. The world is changing and that includes technology. You can’t run away from it. We need to move with the shoes and, above all, enjoy running.”
08:03 AM BST
The race route and its right royal finish
The London Marathon route follows its usual course, starting in Greenwich and Blackheath where entrants are split into three lines which converge at the three-mile mark. The route heads east into Woolwich, then back west towards Greenwich town centre, through Rotherhithe, Deptford and Bermondsey.
From there it crosses north over Tower Bridge, which signals the approximate halfway mark. The landmark is transformed into a tunnel of noise by the thronged, vocal crowds there.
Athletes then complete a circuit around Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs before the course runs west along the north bank of the Thames on Victoria Embankment past the Tower of London towards Trafalgar Square and onto the Mall where it finishes in front of Buckingham Palace.
Some of London’s most famous landmarks feature on the course.
- Cutty Sark, mile six
- Tower Bridge, mile 12
- Tower of London, mile 22
- London Eye, mile 25
- Big Ben, mile 25
- Buckingham Palace, mile 26
07:57 AM BST
When does the marathon start?
The various races set off at staggered times. Start times below:
- 8.50am (BST) – the elite wheelchair men’s and women’s races
- 9.05am – the elite women’s race
- 9.35am – the elite men’s race and the masses
Runners will cross the start line in Greenwich in a sequence of waves until 11.30am. Spare a thought for those in heavy or hefty costumes, as the mercury is set to rise to over 20 degrees Celsius this afternoon.
07:50 AM BST
There’s nothing like the London Marathon
From the marathon legends and wheelchair elites threatening to break records to the running fancy dress rhinoceroses, postboxes, celebrities and athletes of all shape and size slightly further back raising millions of pounds, it is sport and society in perfect harmony.
An estimated 56,000 participants are set to start in Greenwich on a sunny morning in the British capital, potentially making it the world’s largest ever marathon.
At the front of the pack, Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, former world record holder Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jepkosgei are the favourites for the women’s event.
“London is a great memory for me that I can never forget about. I have Olympic gold, but London is still just something I can’t forget; it is amazing,” Hassan said in the pre-race press conference.
“I have worked really hard and am in good shape and I hope to do something better, but I don’t want any drama,” she said, referring to her 2023 victory in which she dropped back twice before returning to the front to win.
In the men’s race, Sabastian Sawe of Kenya and Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia will push one another close. The Kenyan won the Valencia marathon in December on debut over the 26.2-mile distances. His time of 2hr 2mins 5secs was the fastest of 2024.
With new super shoes on their feet helping them to go even quicker – more on those shortly – the course record could well fall, and possibly even the world standard.
Defending champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao and marathon GOAT and four-time London Marathon winner Eliud Kipchoge, the man who set the first ever sub-2 hour marathon, should not be discounted either.
“London is the biggest marathon ever, I am coming here to support London’s good causes,” Kipchoge said on Thursday. “It is about the charity events being done . . . the London Marathon is a movement by itself and I am supporting that movement, the movement of running a marathon.”
Then there are the debutants. Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) could steal the show, stoking the hype machine with a 56:42 half-marathon in February, slashing the world record.
As for home interest? Mahamed Mahamed and Phil Sesemann will likely be vying to be the fastest Briton home.
Then there is the thrill of the unknown quantities. Alex Yee won the Olympic triathlon last summer and the Briton is making his marathon debut here, hoping to go under 2hr. Another to keep an eye on is Eilish McColgan, the daughter of athletics royalty Liz, making her marathon bow.
For the second time in her career, Tigst Assefa unlaced her running trainers, had a new marathon world record time inscribed on the side and held them up like a prized trophy.
The £450 Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo ‘super shoe’ that she brought to world fame in Berlin 18 months ago has struck again, setting another world best and on the feet of both the men’s and women’s London winner for the second successive year.
Weighing in at only 138 grams, the feather-like shoe has been upgraded since Assefa dismantled the world record by almost two minutes at the 2023 Berlin Marathon and, with Sabastian Sawe winning the men’s race in the newer ‘Pro Evo 2’ version, she again triumphed in a pair of the originals.
Assefa’s winning time of 2h 15min 50sec was specifically for a women’s only marathon – she herself is among those who have run quicker in a mixed race – and she was also just outside the course record set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003 when she ran alongside men.
It was still an emphatic victory, particularly considering the temperatures touching 20C, with Assefa breaking clear alongside Joyciline Jepkosgei before then moving clear in the final four miles to win by almost three minutes. The Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan had lost touch earlier in the race but still finished third, ahead of the leading Briton Eilish McColgan, who ran almost the entire 26.2 mile course alone to finish eighth and surpass mum, Liz’s, Scottish record.
The moment Tigst Assefa breaks the women’s only marathon record.
2 hours, 15 minutes, 50 seconds.#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/K6ynxQjjiZ
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
Senior Adidas and Nike officials were both in London for the race, with Nike rumoured to be interested in becoming one of the main sponsors of the race. It was, however, another year in which rivals Adidas claimed the big prizes in a shoe that scientists at the German manufacturers believe is the fastest ever.
With carbon rods running through a super-responsive foam midsole – which is made from a secret compound – the Adidas ‘super shoe’ was designed between laboratory testing in Herzogenaurach and real-life feedback in Iten, Kenya. Nike, the originators of the ‘super shoe’ concept when they swept the marathon at the Rio Olympics in 2016 and then numerous marathon majors since, can still boast the men’s and women’s absolute world record, as well as Eliud Kipchoge’s famous run under two hours in an unofficial marathon.
Kipchoge, who is now 40, was back in London this year in a prototype of the Nike Alphafly 4s shoes and featured prominently at the front of the men’s race in the first half before a new generation of younger African marathon runners took charge. Jacob Kiplimo, the 24-year-old half-marathon world record holder from Uganda, was also part of the group but no one could match the Kenyan Sawe when he ignored a drink stop after 19 miles to launch his decisive attack.
Aged 30, Sawe was running just his second marathon after only starting to race internationally three years ago. His sudden acceleration included a 4min 18sec split for the 20th mile and his winning time of 2hr 2min 27sec was the second fastest in the history of the London Marathon.
We’re 100% sure it wasn’t… but Sabastian Sawe made this look so easy 🤣#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/6jMmwToghT
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
Kipchoge, the double Olympic champion, eventually finished seventh in 2hr 5mins 24sec, with Kiplimo second on his marathon debut ahead of last year’s winner Alex Mutiso in third.
Both winners praised what Sawe called a “fantastic” shoe. “Technology is very important to marathon running,” said Assefa, who is from Ethiopia. “When you are running 42km, you need all the protection you can get. The new technology in the shoes is definitely helping us.”
McColgan’s debut time of 2hr 24min 25 sec was more than two minutes quicker than her mum had run in winning the race and sealing a series of top three finishes back in the Nineties. Having seen her mother win the race when she was just five, it means that Eilish has now taken all of her long-standing Scottish distance records. Liz now coaches Eilish, who played down the comparison between their times.
“Shoe technology is a world apart from my mum’s era,” said Eilish. “We have altitude camps now and there’s the fuelling with all the drinks and gels. My mother drank water and flat coke I think to get around the marathon. I’m obviously still happy to break my mum’s record but it is different.” McColgan is now hoping to follow Radcliffe in becoming only the second British woman to dip under 2hr 20mins.
“I do believe I’m capable – this was just a little too soon,” she said. While McColgan was the fastest British runner in the women’s race, one place ahead of Rose Harvey in ninth, the leading British male runner was Mahamed Mahamed in ninth in 2hr 8min 52 sec. For the second year running, the wheelchair races finished in a Swiss double, with Catherine Debrunner breaking her own course record in the women’s race and Marcel Hug winning a seventh men’s title.
01:54 PM BST
Thanks for reading, well done to all the runners
Runners will be crossing the finish line on the Mall for the next eight hours. Well done to each and every one. The London Marathon: humbling, inspirational and unique for its fund-raising power.
That’s it from me, thanks for reading.
If you’re moved to run the 2026 London Marathon, the ballot entry system closes at 4pm on Friday 2nd May. Get yours in…
01:52 PM BST
Danny Mills, the best of the ex-footballers
John Terry is several miles from the finish on the Mall, set for a predicted 4hr 26min finish. I am assuming he is not running in full Chelsea kit. He is set to go faster than fellow ex-footballers Jack Wilshere and Steve Sidwell.
However, Danny Mills has already finished in 3hr 16m 07sec. Running runs in the family: his son George is, of course, a Team GB 1,500-metre star.
01:47 PM BST
“One of the best experiences of my life”: Yee reflects on his debut
The GB star and Olympic triathlon champion finished 14th in 2hr 11min 08sec. He spoke to the BBC afterwards:
“It was probably one of the best experiences of my life. I expected the crowd to be good but they were another level. I am so proud to have completed the marathon, you can see my legs are starting to give way [running to the finish]. It was hard at the end. My legs have never felt this sore.”
Emotions about the time I did will come afterwards, but the main thing for me was to enjoy it, experience the unknown, embrace it.”
There will be no transition to the marathon; this was an exploratory run, with his mind focused on the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles and the triathlon.
01:42 PM BST
Sir Jason Kenny – seven Olympic gold medals and a marathon finisher
Sir Jason Kenny crosses the line in 3hr 43min 19sec. Very respectable from the cycling track sprinter. He was running in support of Sir Chris Hoy, who recently had a terminal cancer diagnosis and Tour de 4.
It is a brand new fundraising charity bike ride that aims to shine a spotlight on what a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis can look like and demonstrate that it is possible to live well and lead a happy life alongside this devastating diagnosis.
01:36 PM BST
Makes the nation laugh too. Runners spotted dressed as…
… a banana, a shark, a lion, a bumblebee, a Christmas tree, a sunflower.
And one with “never again” printed in big letters on his running shirt.
01:33 PM BST
“This makes the nation smile”
“This is one of those events that makes you like humans,” says TV presenter Helen Skelton to the BBC, mid-run. “You look around the start line and it’s so humbling, so inspiring. You have nothing to whinge about it, though it’s not going to fun or pain-free. This makes the nation smile.”
01:30 PM BST
Ranganathan approaching halfway
Runners blow kisses to the fixed TV cameras as they go over Tower Bridge. Comedian Romesh Ranganathan, running for Teenage Cancer Trust, is trotting over the landmark and pauses for a few words with the BBC:
“It feels like we’re going ok. James is pacing me, we are just trying to keep it as easy as possible.”
He is on track for five and a half hours.
01:25 PM BST
Sir Alastair Cook finishes in 3hr 16min 42sec
A very decent time from the 40-year-old former England cricket captain and opener in his maiden marathon. Now he can answer the question – what is harder, a long day at the crease batting or a marathon?
He is running to raise money for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, set up in memory of Andrew’s wife, who died in 2018 from a rare form of lung cancer. Former team-mate Sir Andrew Strauss is also taking part, set to finish just outside four hours.
01:18 PM BST
Best British finisher Eilish McColgan on her “incredible experience”
McColgan finished eighth and beat her the PB of her mother Liz, who won this race back in 1996. She has been talking to the BBC:
“I was very nervous, probably the most nervous I’ve been for any event, just purely because the distance was a complete unknown. I had never raced further than a half-marathon. But the crowd today, it’s hard to put into words, unless you’re out there. Just insane crowds.”
Asked whether she would like to repeat this experience:
“If you’d asked me just after the race, I would have said absolutely not but now I have had a bit of time to think. It was just an incredible experience. I knew my first one was always going to be tough … my main priority was make it to the finish, I can now call myself a marathoner. It got tough out there a little bit earlier than I would have liked but a really good learning experience.
As you said, I still broke my mum’s PB which was one of the big goals. We’ll have a proper debrief later. Every time I run, I feel like I’m doing it for my family and my mum.”
Well done, Eilish McColgan! 👊
She takes the Scottish record (and beats her mum’s time!) at the London Marathon. #BBCMarathon#LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/MnhiMA42IO
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
01:02 PM BST
McFly’s Harry Judd crosses the finish line
The Celebrity Race Around the World star was hoping to go under three hours, but the warm conditions did not help. His time of 3hrs 15min 20secs is eight minutes up on last year’s mark through. Music to the drummer’s ears.
Cricket great Sir Alastair Cook should be finishing in the next ten minutes and he is projected to be just a minute slower.
Is that Harry Judd we spy crossing the finish line?
Congratulations, Harry! 🤩#BBCMarathon#LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/1MUytH88ye
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
12:59 PM BST
“You can be slow or fast but you must get to the line”
Yes, your eyes do not deceive you, that is ex-Liverpool and England wing wizard John Barnes cheering on runners and handing out drinks.
12:53 PM BST
The stories of Lindsey Burrow and three other inspirational women
Lindsey Burrow is running in a shirt with a silouhette of Rob Burrow and 200 names on it – the players he played with, then her children’s names and her own.
Burrow’s husband Rob, the former England and Great Britain rugby league international, died last June aged 41, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2019.
After running in the capital today, she will run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in a fortnight’s time. Two 26.2-mile races in two weeks will be gruelling, but it is all for the cause of MND charities.
You can read more about her story and other rousing runners here.
12:45 PM BST
Inspired to enter the 2026 London Marathon?
London Marathon hopefuls can enter through the ballot for free, with successful applicants selected at random. The ballot for the 2026 London Marathon closes on Friday May 2.
Winners will earn a place in next year’s race, which will be held on April 26, 2026.
Those who choose to donate at a reduced entry fee of £49.99 – the regular fee is £79.99 – will have access to an exclusive second ballot, more than doubling their chances of getting selected.
12:39 PM BST
How are the celebrities doing?
It looks like comedian Joel Domett is leading the way, with former England cricket captain Sir Alastair Cook close behind. He is set to finish in a few minutes and will be close to going under three hours, according to the London Marathon app’s tracker.
Here is a list of other famous marathoners, how far they have run and their projected finishes:
- Harry Judd, 21.75 miles covered, 3hr 14min 37sec estimated finish time
- Sir Jason Kenny, 18.64 miles in, 3hr 39min 35sec
- Sir Andrew Strauss, 15.53mi, 3hr 49min 10sec
- John Terry, 15.53mi, 4hr 3min 33sec
- Joe Wicks, 6.21mi, 5hr 14min 02sec
- Alexandra Burke, 6.21mi, 5hr 19min 44sec
- Romesh Ranganathan, 9.32mi, 5hr 20min 49sec
- Kelly Brook, 9.32mi, 6hr 11min 36sec
12:31 PM BST
Cool customers
There is a fella running with a fridge on his back, raising money for the Armed Forces, emblazoned with a London Underground logo that says London Fridge, as he crosses that bridge. Another man has run from Macclesfield, starting on Monday, a marathon every day, basically while pushing a buggy.
Phenomenal efforts.
12:24 PM BST
London Marathon could become the world’s biggest
Bobbing heads galore streaming past the Cutty Sark. Six miles in, there are a fair few fresh runners. It does not get hard until later.
More than 56,000 runners are expected to cross the finish line today. London could set a record for the world’s largest marathon, currently held by New York, which had 55,646 finishers last week.
12:18 PM BST
Protestors disrupt London Marathon
The London Marathon day has not been incident-free. Two Youth Demand demonstrators disrupted the race on Tower Bridge this morning, throwing red paint on the road as the men’s front-runners came past.
The group is calling for a trade embargo on Israel. We’ve got the full story and images here.
12:14 PM BST
All praise-worthy on a sumptuous summery day
The BBC are playing a montageof runners on Tower Bridge and Cutty Sark to Fatboy Slim’s Praise You. It is a great one for motivational running music, no doubt, though M People featured even higher on my own marathon playlists. Oh, the Beeb has gone and ruined it by putting on Coldplay.
It’s approaching 20 degrees Celsius in central London. The enthusiasm of the runners interviewed is infectious, despite the hot weather.
“A beer,” says one, deadpan, when asked what he is looking forward to at the finish.
12:09 PM BST
Sawe and Assefa reflect on their victories
Sabastian Sawe speaks to the BBC:
“Today, I’m so happy. I was well-prepared for this race and that is why it became easy for me to win. It has now given me hope that the marathon will be so important and so easy to me.”
Richard Nerurkar, a marathon star and Olympian himself in the 1990s, acts as interpreter for Ethiopian Tigst Assefa:
“I was second here last year and to win here this year is very special. I am really very happy. Last year, I had some problems with the cold, my hamstring tightened up towards the end of the race. This year, the weather suited me really well.”
12:00 PM BST
A reminder of the iconic London Marathon route
Runners are all along the course. The last participants started in Greenwich and Blackheath thirty minutes ago. The route heads east into Woolwich, then back west towards Greenwich town centre, through Rotherhithe, Deptford and Bermondsey.
From there it crosses north over Tower Bridge, which signals the approximate halfway mark. The landmark is transformed into a tunnel of noise by the thronged, vocal crowds there.
Athletes then complete a circuit around Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs before the course runs west along the north bank of the Thames on Victoria Embankment past the Tower of London towards Trafalgar Square and onto the Mall where it finishes in front of Buckingham Palace.
Some of London’s most famous landmarks feature on the course.
- Cutty Sark, mile six
- Tower Bridge, mile 12
- Tower of London, mile 22
- London Eye, mile 25
- Big Ben, mile 25
- Buckingham Palace, mile 26
11:55 AM BST
Attention turns to the mass event and so many noble charity causes
So many sterling fancy dress efforts too though. “London, you’ve shown up, this crowd is absolutely unbelievable,” says a man in a blue tutu and fairy wings.
11:47 AM BST
Alex Yee’s dynamic debut
A fine run by triathlon star Alex Yee, seconds outside 2hr 11mins on his debut. He falls to the floor for a rest metres beyond the finish and gratefully takes a water bottle. He has finished just inside the top 15 while maintaining triathlon training alongside it all.
11:44 AM BST
Ninth-placed Mahamed is first British finisher
Mahamed Mahamed grits his teeth and passes a rival within the final 700 metres. Clad in fluorescent orange Puma kit, he crosses the line in 2hr 8min 50sec by my reckoning. That is a superb performance, given the five-star quality of the field.
11:43 AM BST
Mutiso finishes third in a photo finish; Kipchoge sixth
In the fight for third place, defending champion Mutiso and Nageeye sprint down the Mall and can’t be separated by the naked eye. A few centimetres will decide a few thousand pounds of prize money there.
Ah, it has been given to Abdi Nageeye of the Netherlands over Alexander Mutiso Munyao. No, it has been corrected to Mutiso. That is how close it was. Meanwhile, the great Eliud Kipchoge comes in for a mid 2hr 5min finish. The 40-year-old has still got it; he never lost it.
11:39 AM BST
Sabastian Sawe wins the elite men’s London Marathon
The Kenyan raises his arms aloft and sticks out his tongue, crossing the line in 2hr 2min 25sec. He moved away around the 16-mile mark and ran negative splits. His rivals in the lead group had no answer.
There was a lot of talk about Jacob Kiplimo in the build-up, given his sub-57 world half-marathon record. Making his bow, he crosses the line in second place, 70 seconds behind Sawe. A fine debut.
We’re 100% sure it wasn’t… but Sabastian Sawe made this look so easy 🤣#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/6jMmwToghT
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
11:37 AM BST
Sawe approaches the Mall
Past Big Ben and beyond the two-hour mark for Sabastian Sawe. At 29 years of age, there is plenty of time for more marathon accolades for this talent.
However, he will not beat the course record of the late, great Kelvin Keptum, who won the 2023 London Marathon in 2hr 1min 25sec.
11:32 AM BST
Sabastian Sawe closes on victory
The Kenyan race leader is on the Victoria Embankment. He checks his watch casually and grabs his drinks bottle. His form is still there, looks like he’s out for a Sunday jog. A little over a mile to go and he can call himself a London Marathon winner.
It’ll be two marathon wins from two after triumphing in Valencia four months ago. It will not be quite as fast, but he is on track for 2hr 3sec. Ugandan debutant Jacob Kiplimo is 46 seconds down, with Munyao and Nageeye in a battle for third, 1:33 behind.
11:30 AM BST
Eilish McColgan crosses the finish line
On her marathon debut, she finishes eighth and smashes the Scottish record. 2hr 24min 24sec, I make it. Seventh on the British all-time list, according to the Beeb’s Steve Cram. She puts her hands on her haunches after crossing the line, absolutely knackered.
Compatriot Rose Harvey sprints across the line, trying to go under 2hr 25min. It was very tight.
Well done, Eilish McColgan! 👊
She takes the Scottish record (and beats her mum’s time!) at the London Marathon. #BBCMarathon#LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/MnhiMA42IO
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
11:27 AM BST
Time to get shopping…
For the shoe nerds, Tigst Assefa is wearing the previous incarnation of the £450 Adidas Pro Evos, which she first made famous while breaking the world record in 2023. They were being advertised on some retail sites back then for £2,500. Looking like an Adidas double in the men’s and women’s elite races.
11:25 AM BST
Tigst Assefa wins elite women’s London Marathon, breaking world record
She finds energy for a sprint, crossing the line in 2hrs 15mins 50secs. She falls to her knees, claps her hands with glee and smiles.
That’s a women’s only world record for the 28-year-old Ethiopian by 26 seconds. Assefa took it up early and had the stamina to set an incredible time. Paula Radcliffe’s course record survives…
Joyciline Jepkosgei comes through in 2hrs 18mins 41secs for second, with Sifan Hassan third, closing hard, just 16 seconds behind.
Here’s the emotional moment Tigst Assefa won the London Marathon🥇#BBCMarathon#LondonMarathonpic.twitter.com/VGGOsp7QTy
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
11:20 AM BST
Assefa can see the finish line
As she makes the turn onto the Mall past Buckingham Palace, Assefa is streets ahead, 56 seconds in front of Kepkosgei and extending her lead with every stride.
The women’s only world record will tumble. But will Paula Radcliffe’s course record fall? It’s going to be close…
11:18 AM BST
Potential win for Adidas in the ‘super shoes’ arms race
Sabastian Sawe, who has made a major break clear just at Canary Wharf in the men’s race, is among those in the new Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 ‘super shoe’ that is claimed to be the fastest piece of footwear in running history. It will retail at £450 when it goes on general sale in August.
11:16 AM BST
Records set to fall in the women’s race
Assefa is still running smoothly down the Victoria Embankment. She is a mile away from the finish, projected for a 2:15:16 time.
Technically, Paula Radcliffe has the course record, her 2:15:25 time standing since 2003. But that was a ‘mixed’ race –ie. men and women started at the same time. So there is another women’s only record set to tumble, following the fashion for elite women starting in their own race.
The existing mark was set by Peres Jepchirchir at the 2024 London Marathon, running 2hrs 16mins 16secs.
11:11 AM BST
Tigst Assefa moves into the lead
Tigst Assefa has broken away from Jepkosgei and looks set to win. This will be a sweet revenge the former world record holder after finishing second here twelve months ago. It did not take much to get rid of her rival, given the fatigue into her legs.
Meanwhile, Sabastian Sawe has kept his foot down (figuratively), putting in a 2:40 kilometre as he increases his lead in the men’s race. Mind-boggling speed.
11:07 AM BST
Kipchoge drops back as Sawe makes his move
A sterling effort from the four-time winner but 90 minutes into this race, he has been distanced. A few more leaders are struggling to hold on.
In front, through the water station, Sabastian Sawe does not slow to grab a bottle and gains a couple of metres in the process. Two metres becomes five and now 25. The Kenyan star looks fresh as he pulls away.
11:03 AM BST
Mile 15: nine leaders in men’s race
It could be a race of attrition on the streets of London. Kiplagat falls off the pace, but big players Sawe, Tola, Kipchoge, Mutiso and Kiplimo are still there in contention.
In front, Assefa and Jepkosgei have slowed from the lightning pace of their first half. They are only fifteen minutes – three miles – from the finish on the Mall. It will feel like an eternity.
10:59 AM BST
Brit-watch: McColgan and Mahamed moving well
Eilish McColgan, who is currently seventh and first of the Brits, is well on course to better her mum Liz’s personal best and Scottish record of 2hr 26min 52sec. Her projected finish time after 30km is 2hr 22min 37secs.
Among the men, the leading Briton is Mahamed Mahamed in 14th, who has been training at night in the build up during Ramadan. He is scheduled to finish in 2hr 7min 28sec, with Olympic triathlon champion Alex Yee running well and on course to finish a minute further back.
10:53 AM BST
Meanwhile in the masses race…
Tom and Jerry go round Cutty Sark. I’ve seen a man in full Mike from Monsters Inc garb too. I hope there is a prize for best fancy dress, as well as fastest fancy dress. Marathons are hard enough without running in a bulky, heavy costume.
It’s already hot out there, Kelly Brook reports mid-run for the BBC. She is running it with her husband Jeremy Parisi.
10:51 AM BST
Kipchoge showing his pedigree
Eliud Kipchoge, who is widely regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all time, prominent at the front of the lead male group. Still a long way to go, but he is back running with real authority and confidence.
The man everyone is watching, though, is Jacob Kiplimo, who has hidden towards the back of the lead group so far but is an extraordinary talent and running his first full marathon.
10:49 AM BST
A duel between Assefa and Jepkosgei in the women’s race
Hassan is 1min 10sec in arrears at the 30km split, going through a rare, crowd-light stretch of the route in Limehouse, which will not help anything.
This is surely a two-woman race now. The leaders are sharing the pace, taking it in turns to front-run.
10:44 AM BST
How are the British runners doing?
Olympian Phil Sesemann has dropped off the chase group, 2:13 behind the leaders. Compatriots Mahamed Mahamed and Weynay Ghebresilase are still in there, going strong.
Alex Yee’s debut marathon is going swimmingly so far. The Olympic triathlon champion is 2:49 behind the leaders with fellow Britons Mellor and Rowe. And to think, he is doing this race to “freshen up” his training. Stickler for punishment if you ask me (aching from a mere parkrun yesterday)…
10:41 AM BST
Men go through halfway
Tower Bridge done and dusted for the men’s leaders, cheered every step of the way. Amanal Petros injects a little pace into the ten-man front group as they go through halfway in 1hr 1min 30secs, just 42 seconds down on world record pace.
Kipchoge, Kiplimo, Sawe and Tola are all still in there, looking comfortable.
The women’s elite race has slowed slightly, as Assefa and Jepkosgei go through 17 miles, but still on course to smash the women’s only world record by two or three minutes. Hassan is now over 25 seconds down in third place.
10:32 AM BST
Catherine Debrunner wins elite women’s wheelchair race
A dominant display from the Swiss star, winning by minutes. She was mixed up in the sprint finish for the minor placing in the elite men’s races.
10:29 AM BST
They say the marathon doesn’t start until mile 20…
The ten male leaders are running fast, but grouped, likely waiting until the race’s latter third to strike. They will be at halfway in a couple of miles.
For the women, the final pacemaker has peeled off. Sifan Hassan has been further distanced and will have to stick to her pace, hoping that Assefa and Jepkosgei hit the wall and slow down later.
10:25 AM BST
McColgan is lead Briton in women’s race
Lead women Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jepkosgei now through the half marathon distance in 1hr 6min 40sec – 10 seconds clear of Sifan Hassan – and all on course to go under the existing women’s only world record. Eilish McColgan running her own race and through half way in 1hr 10min 44sec. She is eighth.
10:23 AM BST
Marcel Hug wins the elite men’s wheelchair race
The defending champion and dominant force Marcel Hug has done it. He powers down the Mall and punches the air as he crosses the finish line in 1hr 25mins 23sec. Tomoki Suzuki of Japan pushed him all the way, dropping back to finish about 45 seconds down.
A class of his own!
The moment Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race at the London Marathon 2025 🤩#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/lRsp1jUnUl
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
10:21 AM BST
Lindsey Burrow’s two marathons in two weeks
Burrow’s husband Rob, the former England and Great Britain rugby league international, died last June aged 41, after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease in December 2019.
She is running in a shirt with a silouhette of Rob and 200 names on it – the players he played with, then her children’s names and her own.
After running in the capital today, she will run the Rob Burrow Leeds Marathon in a fortnight’s time. Two 26.2-mile races in two weeks will be tough, but it is all for the cause of MND charities.
“Rob will will be at the forefront of my mind. It will be emotional but I’m looking forward to it.”
Lindsey Burrow says her late husband Rob “will be with me throughout” when she runs today ❤️#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/MW4rhJtnMD
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
10:17 AM BST
Mile 13: Hassan drops back
Shortly after getting off Tower Bridge, Sifan Hassan falls off the lead group. This time, it looks like it will be harder to close the gap. She is 80 metres back or so.
Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jepkosgei, with only one pace-maker for company. They cross halfway at 1hr 6sec 40secs, on for a women’s only world record ie. for a race where there is not a mixed men and women’s field, which can help pacing.
They are racing for a £44,000 first prize, with £23,100 for the runner-up and third-place earning £17,400. It is the same prize pot for the other elite races.
10:09 AM BST
Leaders at Cutty Sark
The men run past the masses and round Cutty Sark. Their 10km split of 28min 57sec is 15 seconds slower than the world record pace. Still very fast.
Everything is shipshape so far for pre-race favourites Alex Mutiso Munyao, Eliud Kipchoge, Tamirat Tola, Sebastian Sawe and Jacob Kiplimo in the ten-man lead group.
Leading British marathoners Mahamed Mahamed and Phil Sesemann are in a chase group 1min 5sec behind them, with Alex Yee a further 30 seconds back in another group.
10:02 AM BST
Kipchoge in the lead group of ten men
First notable aspect of the start of the men’s race is the bold start of Eliud Kipchoge, with the 40-year-old legend in the lead group of 10 who have gone through the first 5km in 14min 25sec – slightly faster than Kelvin Kiptum’s world record.
No British men have gone with the leading male group of 10, with Jacob Kiplimo’s marathon debut among the most eagerly anticipated sub-plots. He smashed the world half marathon record earlier this year – and was good enough to race in the Rio Olympics aged 15 in 2016 – and has been tipped to become the first man under two hours in an official race.
Sifan Hassan has now dropped off a lead group of four in the women’s race. They are going at an extraordinary 2hr 12min pace. Hassan did yo-yo in and out of the lead group before winning in London in 2023, but will be concerning moments nevertheless as her big rival Tigst Assefa has gone with the lead pace.
Eilish McColgan, meanwhile, has slowed in the second 5km of her race and is now running alone.
10:00 AM BST
Hassan briefly dropped as Assefa and Jepkosgei lead
Ethiopian Sigst Assefa looks a tad more comfortable as she and Jepkosgei move away from Sifan Hassan. They are minutes up on the expected pace.
Fellow early leader Alemu has been distanced, but Hassan returns to the group after dropping back to 20 metres behind for a mile or so. She is making that yo-yo style a defining characteristic.
09:56 AM BST
Hug and Debrunner lead wheelchair races
An hour into the elite wheelchair races, Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner have distanced their rivals. Tomoki Suzuki is only about five seconds down on the Swiss and chasing hard.
They will be the fastest competitors on the marathon route this year, covering the 26.2 miles in around 90 minutes. Rapid.
09:52 AM BST
Women’s only world record set to tumble
Super fast start to the women’s race, with the leaders now well inside the pace of the women’s only world record that was set last year.
Sifan Hassan, the Olympic champion and London Marathon winner, is lurking at the back of that pack. Her speed and track pedigree will make her a big favourite if she is still in sight of the leaders in the final mile. Eilish McColgan, meanwhile, has made no attempt to go with the leaders.
09:45 AM BST
Lead women through 10km at a lightning pace
The leaders have just gone through 10km (6.2 miles) in 31mins 16sec. That is on for 2:12 pace, three minutes inside the course record.
Tigst Assefa, Megertu Alemu, Sifan Hassan and Joyciline Jepkosgei are tucked behind the duo of pacemakers. Hassan is running a metre off the back of the group, perhaps not loving this pace. However, she has a history of yo-yoing and coming back with a vengeance – that’s how she won the 2023 race.
Sticking to her own pace, lead Briton Eilish McColgan has dropped off the chase pack and is running alone.
09:39 AM BST
There is that iconic image
The greats of the running world are followed by an ocean of leading amateur runners streaming over the line in Greenwich Park. With their first strides, they pack the road so not a speck of black tarmac can be seen. Awe-inspiring.
An estimated 56,000 runners will be starting their marathon efforts over the next two hours. Months, even years, of training all comes down to today. Speaking from painful experience, it is tempting to go off fast, with all the nervous energy, not to mention an early downhill stretch through Woolwich three miles in.
Thousands of runners begin the London Marathon! 🏃♂️🏃♀️
Just five big names to look out for:
⭐️ Sifan Hassan
⭐️ Eilish McColgan
⭐️ Eliud Kipchoge
⭐️ Jacob Kiplimo⭐️ Alex Yee#LondonMarathon#BBCMarathonpic.twitter.com/Lhu7jSzDzI
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) April 27, 2025
09:35 AM BST
The elite men and masses are off
Denise Lewis pushes the buzzer to get them underway. It’s already 13 degrees Celsius in Blackheath, with the mercury set to go ten notches higher in the capital this afternoon. Hydration, hydration and more hydration will be key.
This year’s men’s line-up has been billed as the greatest ever. Sabastian Sawe and Tamirat Tola are the favourites, with defending champion Alexander Mutiso in the mix. Four-time winner and legend Eliud Kipchoge elicits the biggest roar on the start line from fans after his name is read out last.
Here is a selection of the 45-strong men’s elite field, with their PBs:
Eliud Kipchoge (Ken, 2:01:09)
Alexander Mutiso (Ken, 2:03:11)
Sabastian Sawe (Ken, 2:02:05)
Timothy Kiplagt (Ken, 2:02:55)
Milkesa Mengesha (Eth, 2:03:17)
Tamirat Tola (Eth, 2:03:39)
Mahamed Mahamed (GB, 2:07:05)
Philip Sesemann (GB, 2:08:02)
Jonathan Mellor (GB, 2:09:06)
Jacob Kiplimo (UGA, debut)
Alex Yee (GB, debut)
09:30 AM BST
Southport fathers running to raise money for memorial playground
The fathers of two of the girls murdered in the Southport attack last summer have said their daughters will be with them in spirit as they run the London Marathon.
David Stancombe and Sergio Aguiar are running the 26.2-mile route today to raise money for projects in memory of the three girls killed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Aguiar said of his nine-year-old daughter Alice: “When I’m training, I feel she is always with me. Sometimes I talk to her, tell her, you know, keep going mate, we’re going to do this together, you will be with me, always.”
09:23 AM BST
Scenes from the start
09:17 AM BST
London preparing bid for 2029 World Athletics Championships
Athletic Ventures – the joint organisation between UK Athletics (UKA), the Great Run Company and London Marathon Events – has completed a feasibility study ahead of submitting a formal expression of interest to World Athletics in September.
The bid depends on securing £45million in government support for delivery. If it comes to fruition, it would be the first time London has hosted the event since 2017, where every race was a sell-out.
UKA president Dame Denise Lewis, who is officially starting today’s London Marathon and was part of the organisational team eight years ago, said: “London 2017 showed the world what this city and this country can do.
“It was an incredible example of how we can unite behind a vision — full stadiums, global energy, and a lasting impact.”
09:13 AM BST
The elite women are off
A group of four leaders forms in the opening mile, led out by two pace-makers in pink and yellow singlets. Hassan, Asefa, Jepkosgei and Alemu are up front. A group, including McColgan, is a few hundred metres behind them.
Word is they are running a 2:15 pace. If they keep to that, they will go under Peres Jepchirchir’s course record of 2hr 16min 16sec, set last year.
Here are the starters in the elite women’s event:
Tigist Assefa (Eth, 2:11:53)
Sifan Hassan (Ned, 2:13:44)
Joyciline Jepkosgei (Ken, 2:16:24)
Megertu Alemu (Eth, 2:16:34)
Stella Chesang (Uga, 2:18:26)
Haven Hailu Desse (Eth, 2:19:29)
Susanna Sullivan (US, 2:21:56)
Charlotte Purdue (GB, 2:22:17)
Sofiia Yaremechuk (Ita, 2:23:16)
Rose Harvey (GB, 2:23:21)
Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi (Mar, 2:24:12)
Philippa Bowden (GB, 2:25:47)
Lucy Reid (GB, 2:26:37)
Emily Durgin (US, 2:26:46)
Molly Bookmyer (US, 2:28:52)
Louise Small (GB, 2:29:33)
Eilish McColgan (GB, debut)
Holly Archer (GB, debut)
09:06 AM BST
Eilish McColgan’s first marathon
The elite women toe the start line, including the willowy Eilish McColgan, making her debut after a career of contending at 5,000 and 10,000 metres. Her mother Liz won this race in 1996.
“My first memories of the London Marathon are probably sitting in the hospitality tent eating all the free food and looking at a tiny TV screen, not really understanding that my mum was in the London Marathon,” she said pre-race.
“I never, ever believed I’d be on the Start Line of the elite field, I thought I’d one day do it with the masses and do it for fun, so it feels very surreal.
08:58 AM BST
Elite wheelchair races underway
The elite men and women roll off the start line in Greenwich Park. Swiss defending champions Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner are the favourites. Let’s see how fresh five-time winner Hug is, having taken victory at the Boston Marathon a week ago. Dutchman Jetze Plat could spring a surprise.
Paralympic legend David Weir carries British hopes; the 45-year-old finished third last year.
08:57 AM BST
Celeb-watch
There are a fair few familiar faces jogging around London today.
It’s just not cricket: Sir Andrew Strauss and Sir Alistair Cook, two former England cricket captains, are running for the Ruth Strauss Foundation. Former Chelsea captain John Terry is taking part and Great Britain’s most successful Olympian, Sir Jason Kenny, also makes marathon debut.
Away from former athletes, comedian Romesh Ranganathan, presenter Chris Evans and singer Alexandra Burke are also running.
08:45 AM BST
Inspiration from start to finish
During the coverage today, we will be looking at just a few of the umpteen inspirational stories from the amateur runners in the mass start event.
Louise Butcher will be running topless after a double mastectomy in 2022 after she was diagnosed with lobular breast cancer. “I wanted to show people that we [those who have had mastectomies] don’t need to hide. It’s just scarring. There’s no boobs there,” Butcher told Telegraph Sport.
Read about her story and three more inspiring women here.
08:36 AM BST
Goosebump-giving, vibrant energy
Popped out for a coffee earlier and there were runners gathering nervously with their marathon-liveried kit bags and spectators, holding signs. Already heard a few accents from all around the world too.
London on marathon day brings out the best in everyone. The estimated 56,000 participants taking on an almighty athletic feat. The hundreds of thousands lining the route, shouting their support, handing out snacks and holding signs. (A personal wry favourite of mine which appeared at last year’s Chicago Marathon: “therapy was also an option.”)
Perhaps best of all is the event’s status as the world’s largest one-day fundraising event – £73.5 million was raised in 2024.
08:14 AM BST
Game-changing ‘super shoes’ which could make the difference
Rather like film stars turning up at the Oscars and being asked which designer made their suit or dress, the shoe of choice for London Marathon stars has been a hot topic in the build-up to the event.
‘Super shoes’ have changed the marathon-running game in the last decade, shaving minutes, not mere seconds, off existing records, with their distinctive foam midsoles, pronounced stack heights and energy-saving carbon fibre plates. It is an arms race between manufacturers, with Nike threatened to be left behind, as Telegraph Sport’s Jeremy Wilson explores in this absorbing read.
Adidas launched their Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 footwear on Thursday. At £450 and 138 grammes, it is the lightest and priciest marathon shoe in history. Contenders Tamirat Tola, Alex Mutiso and Tigst Assefa are set to wear it. Meanwhile, Puma recently released their Fast-R Nitro Elite 3 offering too.
Of course, ‘super shoes’ only go so far.
“If you are not fit enough, even with these shoes, you can’t run fast,” Eliud Kipchoge told Telegraph Sport. “First it’s the fitness. If you are physically fit and mentally fit, the technology can run with you. The world is changing and that includes technology. You can’t run away from it. We need to move with the shoes and, above all, enjoy running.”
08:03 AM BST
The race route and its right royal finish
The London Marathon route follows its usual course, starting in Greenwich and Blackheath where entrants are split into three lines which converge at the three-mile mark. The route heads east into Woolwich, then back west towards Greenwich town centre, through Rotherhithe, Deptford and Bermondsey.
From there it crosses north over Tower Bridge, which signals the approximate halfway mark. The landmark is transformed into a tunnel of noise by the thronged, vocal crowds there.
Athletes then complete a circuit around Canary Wharf and the Isle of Dogs before the course runs west along the north bank of the Thames on Victoria Embankment past the Tower of London towards Trafalgar Square and onto the Mall where it finishes in front of Buckingham Palace.
Some of London’s most famous landmarks feature on the course.
- Cutty Sark, mile six
- Tower Bridge, mile 12
- Tower of London, mile 22
- London Eye, mile 25
- Big Ben, mile 25
- Buckingham Palace, mile 26
07:57 AM BST
When does the marathon start?
The various races set off at staggered times. Start times below:
- 8.50am (BST) – the elite wheelchair men’s and women’s races
- 9.05am – the elite women’s race
- 9.35am – the elite men’s race and the masses
Runners will cross the start line in Greenwich in a sequence of waves until 11.30am. Spare a thought for those in heavy or hefty costumes, as the mercury is set to rise to over 20 degrees Celsius this afternoon.
07:50 AM BST
There’s nothing like the London Marathon
From the marathon legends and wheelchair elites threatening to break records to the running fancy dress rhinoceroses, postboxes, celebrities and athletes of all shape and size slightly further back raising millions of pounds, it is sport and society in perfect harmony.
An estimated 56,000 participants are set to start in Greenwich on a sunny morning in the British capital, potentially making it the world’s largest ever marathon.
At the front of the pack, Olympic champion Sifan Hassan, former world record holder Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jepkosgei are the favourites for the women’s event.
“London is a great memory for me that I can never forget about. I have Olympic gold, but London is still just something I can’t forget; it is amazing,” Hassan said in the pre-race press conference.
“I have worked really hard and am in good shape and I hope to do something better, but I don’t want any drama,” she said, referring to her 2023 victory in which she dropped back twice before returning to the front to win.
In the men’s race, Sabastian Sawe of Kenya and Olympic champion Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia will push one another close. The Kenyan won the Valencia marathon in December on debut over the 26.2-mile distances. His time of 2hr 2mins 5secs was the fastest of 2024.
With new super shoes on their feet helping them to go even quicker – more on those shortly – the course record could well fall, and possibly even the world standard.
Defending champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao and marathon GOAT and four-time London Marathon winner Eliud Kipchoge, the man who set the first ever sub-2 hour marathon, should not be discounted either.
“London is the biggest marathon ever, I am coming here to support London’s good causes,” Kipchoge said on Thursday. “It is about the charity events being done . . . the London Marathon is a movement by itself and I am supporting that movement, the movement of running a marathon.”
Then there are the debutants. Jacob Kiplimo (Uganda) could steal the show, stoking the hype machine with a 56:42 half-marathon in February, slashing the world record.
As for home interest? Mahamed Mahamed and Phil Sesemann will likely be vying to be the fastest Briton home.
Then there is the thrill of the unknown quantities. Alex Yee won the Olympic triathlon last summer and the Briton is making his marathon debut here, hoping to go under 2hr. Another to keep an eye on is Eilish McColgan, the daughter of athletics royalty Liz, making her marathon bow.
