London Marathon 2026: Tigst Assefa Aims for Victory Against Rivals

The women-only world record is set for races without male pacemakers, with Assefa previously holding the outright women’s record of 2:11:53 from Berlin 2023. She remains the second-fastest female marathon runner after Ruth Chepngetich, who is serving a three-year ban for doping but retains her earlier world record of 2:09:56 from Chicago 2024. In recent years, eight women have surpassed Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing record, including Assefa and Hassan. The London Marathon will feature elite entries, including Julia Paternain and British athletes Emile Cairess and Eilish McColgan, while David Weir aims to prevent Marcel Hug from equaling his record eighth wheelchair win.

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