Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe produced a blistering performance to beat a star-studded field and win the men’s London Marathon in a time of 2:02:27 on Sunday.
The 29-year-old, who won the Valencia marathon last December, came home alone in blazing sunshine ahead of Uganda’s world half marathon record holder Jacob Kiplimo.
Defending champion Alexander Mutiso Munyao edged Abdi Nageeye for third in a photo finish while four-time champion Eliud Kipchoge finished sixth.
At the halfway mark the lead group, which included Kipchoge, Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and Kiplimo, timed outside world record pace at 1:01:30.
Kipchoge, though, was dropped as the runners approached the 90 minute mark.
It was at the drinks station shortly after that that Sawe made the decisive break. Unlike the others he did not take a drink and stole a march on them.
Kiplimo was caught unawares as he was at the back of the group but the 24-year-old battled through to suggest his day will come.
Sawe, though, never had a concern from that moment on, looking fresh as a daisy as he broached the winner’s tape on the Mall in the shadow of Buckingham Palace.
World record
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa made up for her second spot last year to coast home in the women’s London Marathon in a world record time of 2:15:50.
The 28-year-old finished well clear of Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei whilst Sifan Hassan, who edged Assefa for Olympic gold in Paris last year, was third.
Assefa, Jepkosgei and Hassan, who gained 10kg on taking a four-month break following her win in Paris, dominated the race from the outset.
However, Hassan, 32, dropped off the lead group of four which was setting a red hot pace – on course at the time for 2:12, a minute faster than her own personal best – and found herself around 20 metres adrift of them.
Hassan then rejoined the group but was dropped again and trailed Assefa and Jepkosgei, along with the final pacemaker, at the halfway mark at Tower Bridge.
Hassan nevertheless kept them in her sights, hoping that once the pacemaker dropped off the lead two would dally over who took on the pace, which was the error the pacesetters committed in 2023 and played into the hands of the Dutch star.
Far from suggesting she could reel the front two in – the pacemaker finally having dropped off – Hassan’s running style became a bit ragged and the lead grew.
At 30km Hassan was over a minute off the pace with Jepkosgei and Assefa exchanging setting the pace.
The 32-year-old remained a comfortable third and was applauded along the way by non professional runners, who were farther down the route.
Assefa made her break just after the two hour mark, leaving Jepkosgei in her wake.
Such was the pace left in her legs Assefa had a lead of almost over a minute on a rapidly tiring Jepkosgei at the 40km mark.
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By Garrin Lambley © Agence France-Presse
