LONDON, ENGLAND, April 21 — Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir ran herself into position to defend her title in Paris with a dramatic sprint win to take the London Marathon in a women-only World Record 2:16:16.
The 30-year-old Kenyan prevailed in a dramatic four-woman sprint finish, breaking free from a box on the penultimate turn and bolting away from Tigst Assefa (2:16:23), Joyciline Jepkosgei (2:16:24), and Megertu Alemu (2:16:34), as all four bettered Mary Keitany’s 2:17:01 standard run in London ’17.
“I am feeling grateful and so happy for today’s victory,” Jepchirchir exclaimed. “I was not expecting to beat the World Record. With this field, I knew we could beat it but I wasn’t expecting it to be me.”
Triple delight it turns out, London win, women’s-only WR and a ticket to Paris. “It’s made me feel so happy because this is the last event to select the Kenyan team. When I crossed the line I knew it, I’m going to defend my title in Paris.”
For a race with such a riveting four-woman finish, the preceding 40 kilometers was decidedly uneventful with a fast start followed by a long, slow fade.
A pair of women pacers got the hyper-talented field rolling through a downhill 15:44 opening 5K — 2:12:46 pace. The high tempo continued as Jepchirchir and Assefa, clad in identical peach-colored adidas kits, ran up on the pacers through the subsequent 5K in 15:42, crossing 10K in 31:26 — 2:12:38 pace.
So much for the fast start, as the runners faced freshening NW winds heading towards the Tower Bridge and the pace lagged through 16:11 and 15:58 5K segments to cross halfway in 67:05.
The slide continued through 16:03 and 16:18 5K segments, and while there were no moves or fluid station incidents there was some significant attrition as Ruth Chepngetich and Sheila Chepkirui had fallen off the pace by halfway, and Brigid Kosgei, Tigist Ketema and Yalemzerf Yehualaw were dropped before the lead quartet crossed 30K in 1:35:56 — 2:14:56 pace.
The brisk early pace certainly favored Assefa, whose 2:11:53 marathon WR and 2:15:37 clocking in Berlin ‘22 far outpaced her rivals’ PRs with Alemu at 2:17:09, Jepchirchir 2:17:16, and Jepkosgei 2:17:23.
However, Assefa was reluctant to press her speed advantage and she revealed, “I think the wind was a factor and that did affect the way the race played out. At 20K, I felt my leg was hurting a little and wasn’t sure I could finish the race.”
As the tempo slowed further with a 16:52 5K to pass 35K in 1:52:48 (2:15:59 pace), the race shifted in Jepchirchir’s favor.
The Kenyan burst onto the scene in 2017, running a 65:06 half-marathon WR at Ras al Khaymah. She bested Keitany in that race 2 months before the latter ran her 2:17:01 record.
Since running 2:47:33 as a 20-year-old in her debut in Kenya, Jepchirchir has now won six of her seven professional marathons, this being her fourth win in women-only races in addition to the 2021 Olympic and NYC marathons, and Boston ’22.
Her lone marathon loss was London ’23: “Last year I was expecting to win but unfortunately, I was 3rd.”
Not looking to get even, Peres was happy just to be racing after an injury last fall scuttled hopes for a second win in New York.
“Despite the challenges of injuries that I miss two majors, I get healed and I didn’t lose hope,” she said. “I believe in myself and I trust even more in myself.”
Heading up the Embankment Jepchirchir believed she could win. “The ladies were all so strong and fast, and it was windy towards the end so I was focusing extra hard. When I was at 40km, I say let me relax it, then at 41 kilometers, I will accelerate, or I wait to 600 meters.”
Waiting it was, as Alemu made the first move and was also first to falter as the quartet headed into the final 400 meters. Picking up speed, Assefa and Jepchirchir’s arms collided as they approached a pinch point on the turn.
The contact triggered a fierce and fast response from the diminutive Kenyan as she defended her position with a forearm, then veered left in a sharp acceleration, exploding to a 20-meter lead that grew to 8 seconds as she closed out her personal Olympic Trials with a gleeful scream.
“I am happy to be going to the Olympics,” Jepchirchir proclaimed. “I now know I have a great chance to defend my title. I know it is not going to be easy but I will try my best.”
Assefa’s WR in Berlin and 2nd- place finish here most likely earned the 27-year-old a chance in her second Olympics after competing in the 800 meters 8 years ago in Rio.
“It was a really good competition and then towards the end my leg was hurting a little bit,” she said. “But I toughed it out, and I’m happy that I got to the finish. I’d love to take part in the Olympics. We’ll just have to see if this result is good enough for me to get selection.”
LONDON WOMEN’S RESULTS
1. Peres Jepchirchir (Ken) 2:16:16 PR (women-only WR—old 2:17:01 Mary Keitany [Ken] ’17) (10, x W) ($280,000);
2. Tigst Assefa (Eth) 2:16:23; 3. Joyciline Jepkosgei (Ken) 2:16:24 PR; 4. Alemu Megertu (Eth) 2:16:34 PR; 5. Brigid Kosgei (Ken) 2:19:02;
6. Sheila Kiprotich (Ken) 2:19:31; 7. Tigist Ketema (Eth) 2:23:21; 8. Yalemzerf Yehualaw (Eth) 2:23:26; 9. Ruth Chepngetich (Ken) 2:24:36;
10. Abreha Tsige (Eth) 2:25:03; 11. Mhairi MacLennan (GB) 2:29:15 PR.
