Assefa sets women's only record to win London Marathon women's race after late breakaway

LONDON (AP) — Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia took advantage of the warm weather to pull away late for her first London Marathon title on Sunday, setting a record time for a women's-only race in the process.

Assefa made up for second-place finishes in London and the Paris Olympics last year by pulling away from Joyciline Jepkosgei near the end to finish in 2 hours, 15 minutes and 50 seconds. It was the fastest ever time in a women's-only marathon — but 25 seconds slower than the course record set by Paula Radcliffe in 2003 when it was a mixed race.

Peres Jepchirchir had set the previous women's only record of 2:16:16 when she won in London last year ahead of Assefa. Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya set the overall women's world record of 2:09:56 at last year's Chicago Marathon — beating a previous mark held by Assefa.

The weather in London was a lot warmer this year than in 2024 — with temperatures nearing 18 C (64F) by the time the elite runners were finishing — which Assefa said was to her advantage.

“Last year I did have some problems with the cold, my hamstring tightened up toward the end of the race," Assefa said through an interpreter. “This year the weather suited me really well.”

Assefa adds this win to two previous Berlin Marathon titles.

She was beaten in a sprint at the Paris Olympics by Sifan Hassan last year. This time she made sure there would be no sprint finish as she left Jepkosgei behind with a few kilometers left and ran alone along the Thames and through central London to the finish in front of Buckingham Palace.

“I really wanted to win today. And after Paris, where I finished second again, I really have trained hard,” Assefa said. “So this preparation has been over eight months. And obviously I’m very happy it has paid off.”

Even though she lost the Olympic gold medal in a sprint, she said her move with a few miles left was not planned ahead of time.

“I was really training for all outcomes,” she said. “I felt I could win with a sprint, I could also win with a long run from home. The main thing was just to prepare well, and that’s what I did.”

Jepkosgei, the 2021 London winner, was almost three minutes back after tiring near the end.

“It was a little bit humid," Jepkosgei said. “My body was not responding well. And I said, let’s preserve my energy to arrive safely at the finish line.”

Hassan fell behind about halfway through the race and finished third, 3:10 behind.

Hassan took a four-month break after the Olympics and said she still isn't back to her best form. She also said she struggled to breathe every time she took a drink during the first half of the race.

“I think I need some competition,” Hassan said. “Seven months, no competition, I think my body forgot how to push.”

Sabastian Sawe of Kenya won the men's race for his biggest career victory after making a solo breakaway with about 10 kilometers left.

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Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, centre, winner of the women's race with Joyciline Jepkosgei, of Kenya, left, placed second and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands, placed third, pose for the media after finishing at the London Marathon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia poses for the cameras after setting a new women's only world record time and winning the women's race at the London Marathon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia celebrates after winning the women's race at the London Marathon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Tigst Assefa crosses the line to win the women's race at the London Marathon, Sunday, April 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei, right, and Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa reach the Isle of Dogs in the women's elite race during the TCS London Marathon, Sunday April 27, 2025. (Yui Mok/PA via AP)

Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, left, and Kenya's Joyciline Jepkosgei, right, compete in the women's elite race crossing Tower Bridge during the TCS London Marathon, Sunday April 27, 2025. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)

A Ukrainian drone strike killed one person and wounded three others in the Russian city of Voronezh, local officials said Sunday.

A young woman died overnight in a hospital intensive care unit after debris from a drone fell on a house during the attack on Saturday, regional Gov. Alexander Gusev said on Telegram.

Three other people were wounded and more than 10 apartment buildings, private houses and a high school were damaged, he said, adding that air defenses shot down 17 drones over Voronezh. The city is home to just over 1 million people and lies some 250 kilometers (155 miles) from the Ukrainian border.

The attack came the day after Russia bombarded Ukraine with hundreds of drones and dozens of missiles overnight into Friday, killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv, according to Ukrainian officials.

For only the second time in the nearly four-year war, Russia used a powerful new hypersonic missile that struck western Ukraine in a clear warning to Kyiv and NATO.

The intense barrage and the launch of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile followed reports of major progress in talks between Ukraine and its allies on how to defend the country from further aggression by Moscow if a U.S.-led peace deal is struck.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday in his nightly address that Ukrainian negotiators “continue to communicate with the American side.”

Chief negotiator Rustem Umerov was in contact with U.S. partners Saturday, he said.

Separately, Ukraine’s General Staff said Russia targeted Ukraine with 154 drones overnight into Sunday and 125 were shot down.

Follow the AP’s coverage of the war in Ukraine at https://apnews.com/hub/russia-ukraine

This photo provided by the Ukrainian Security Service on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, shows a fragment believed to be a part of a Russian Oreshnik intermediate range hypersonic ballistic missile that hit the Lviv region. (Ukrainian Security Service via AP)

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy, second left, listens to British Defense Secretary John Healey during their meeting in Kyiv, Ukraine, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Danylo Antoniuk)