London Marathon 2025 Top 3
- Sabastian Sawe: 2:02:27
- Jacob Kiplimo: 2:03:37
- Alexander Mutiso Munyao: 2:04:20
The streets of London bore witness to a new chapter in marathon history as Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo announced his arrival in stunning fashion.
In his marathon debut, Kiplimo stormed to a silver medal finish at the London Marathon, setting a new Ugandan national record and signalling that he is a force to be reckoned with over the classic 42.195 km distance.
Though only 23, Kiplimo already boasts an extraordinary resume: double World Cross Country champion, Olympic bronze medalist, and World Championships medalist. Yet, stepping up to the marathon presented an entirely new challenge.
On Sunday, he met that challenge head-on, finishing second behind Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe who clocked a blazing 2:02:27 to win.
Kiplimo crossed the finish line in 2:03:37, shattering the previous Ugandan marathon record by a full minute and eleven seconds, a mark set by Stephen Kissa three years ago in Hamburg. It was a debut that combined tactical brilliance, fearlessness, and the kind of endurance that has defined his career.
“This was a statement run,” said one commentator. And it certainly was, considering the calibre of athletes who followed him across the line. Last year’s London Marathon champion, Alexander Mutiso Munyao could only settle for third place in 2:04:20.
Even Olympic Champion Tamirat Tola and Kenyan marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge, widely regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, found themselves finishing in fifth and sixth respectively, behind the Ugandan newcomer.
Kiplimo’s stunning marathon debut comes just months after another milestone performance: his triumphant run at the Barcelona Half Marathon earlier this year where he reclaimed and shattered his own half-marathon world record. Sunday’s performance in London simply adds another layer to his growing legacy.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa produced another landmark performance by winning in a new world record time while Uganda’s Stella Chesang quietly impressed with a strong sixth-place finish, a promising sign for Ugandan women’s distance running.
