Peres Jepchirchir improved the women’s only world record after winning the London Marathon

Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir (Kenya) broke the women’s only world record after winning the 44th London Marathon.

The 30-year-old sprinted into the lead in the final 300m, crossing the finish line outside Buckingham Palace in 2:16.16 hours to beat the Mary Jepkosgei Keitany’s record of 2:17:01 hours from London 2017. This is a women’s only world record, given that there are no males in the running.

Tigst Assefa (Ethiopia), who clocked 2:11.53 hours at the Berlin Marathon in September to set a women’s world record in the event alongside men, was second in 2:16.23 hours.

London 2021 winner Joyciline Jepkosgei (Kenya) remained third with 2:16.24 hours.

Peres Jepchirchir is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who competes mainly in road running competitions. She won the gold medal in the women’s marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Peres Jepchirchir was the champion at the 2016 and 2020 World Half Marathon Championships. She claimed victories at the 2021 New York City and 2022 Boston Marathon and finished third at the 2023 London Marathon. Her best time for the half marathon of 1:05:06 hours, set on 10 February 2017 in the UAE, is a former half marathon world record. She holds the women’s only half marathon world record of 1:05:16 hours set at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships in Gdynia, Poland, which was an improvement on her own previous record.