Millions Kenya's Sabastian Sawe Will Take Home After Winning London Marathon
Sawe delivered an exceptional performance, crossing the finish line in 2:02:27 — the second-fastest time ever recorded at the London event.
Marvin Chege 
Sabastian Sawe claimed a stunning victory at the 2025 London Marathon, outperforming a highly competitive field that included marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge.
Competing in only his second career marathon, the 29-year-old delivered an exceptional performance, crossing the finish line in 2:02:27 — the second-fastest time ever recorded at the London event.
The 30-year-old made his decisive move roughly 90 minutes into the race, breaking away from a leading group of nine runners and adding a prestigious London title to his Valencia Marathon win from December 2024.
Sabastian Sawe crosses the finish line at the 2025 London Marathon on April 27, 2025. /WORLD ATHLETICS
Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the pre-race favourite and current half-marathon world record holder, impressed in his marathon debut, finishing second with a time of 2:03:37. Kenya’s Alexander Mitiso Munyao secured third place in 2:04:20, while four-time London champion Eliud Kipchoge finished sixth, clocking 2:05:25.
The win for Sawe comes with a plum take-home amount. He earned $55,000 (Ksh 7.1 million) in prize money for his victory.
Although he narrowly missed out on an additional $150,000 (Ksh 19.5 million) bonus awarded for finishing under 2:02, his triumph in London marks a major milestone in his career and further solidifies his rising stature among the world’s marathon elites.
In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa delivered a historic performance, breaking the women's-only marathon world record. She pulled away from Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei to finish in 2:15:50, surpassing the previous record held by Peres Jepchirchir.
Assefa, who recently won a silver medal at the Paris 2024 Olympics, continues to establish herself as one of the premier figures in long-distance running. Great Britain’s Eilish McColgan delivered a commendable performance on home soil, finishing eighth.
Assefa also received a $25,000 (Ksh3.2 million) bonus for setting a new women's-only marathon record.
The London Marathon’s commitment to equality was once again evident in 2025, with equal prize money awarded across able-bodied and wheelchair categories — a policy introduced in 2024.
The total prize purse across elite categories reached £243,000 (Ksh 41.9 million), reinforcing the event’s global reputation for fairness and excellence.
The prize distribution awarded $55,000 (Ksh 7.1 million) to each race winner, $30,000 (Ksh 3.9 million) to the runner-up, and $22,500 (Ksh 2.9 million) to third-place finishers.
Additional bonuses included $150,000 (Ksh 19.4 million) for breaking the 2:02 mark for men or 2:15 for women, $125,000 (Ksh 16.2 million) for setting a world record, and $25,000 for establishing a new course record.
