Tigst Assefa Aims to Break Women's-Only London Marathon Record in Debut

Tigst Assefa, the women's marathon world record holder, is set to make her highly anticipated debut at the London Marathon on Sunday. The 27-year-old Ethiopian has her sights set on breaking the women's-only course record of 2:17:01 set by Mary Keitany in 2017.

Assefa stunned the running world in September 2022 when she smashed the world record at the Berlin Marathon, clocking an astonishing time of 2:11:53 with the help of male pacemakers. Now, she aims to prove her dominance once again on the streets of London.

"I have trained well for this race and I am confident I can beat the course record," Assefa stated at the pre-race press conference. "My strategy will not change whether the race is in London or Berlin. I am sure I can win."

Why this matters: The London Marathon is one of the most prestigious races on the global marathon circuit. A record-breaking performance by Assefa would further cement her status as the world's top female marathoner and generate excitement for the upcoming Paris Olympics.

The women's race in London boasts an exceptionally strong field, featuring seven athletes who have run under 2:17:30, including three of the four fastest women in history. Brigid Kosgei, the previous world record holder and two-time London champion, will be looking to bounce back after failing to finish last year's race due to injury. Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir, who finished third in 2023, believes the course record could fall given the quality of the competitors.

London Marathon event director Hugh Brasher expects the women's race to be even more competitive than the marathon at the Paris Olympics later this year. "The strength in depth of this year's women's field is unprecedented," Brasher remarked. "We could very well see the women's-only world record fall on Sunday."

The 2024 TCS London Marathon will make history as the first marathon to award equal prize money to able-bodied athletes and wheelchair racers, with a total prize pot of $308,000 each. The elite wheelchair races will kick off the event at 8:15 BST, followed by the elite women's race at 9:00 BST and the elite men's race at 9:40 BST.

In the absence of last year's winner and world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, who tragically died in a traffic accident in February, the men's race is considered wide open. Experienced runners such as Kenenisa Bekele, Tamirat Tola, Geoffrey Kamworor, and Leul Gebresilase are expected to be in contention for the title.

With near-perfect weather conditions forecast for race day, the stage is set for Tigst Assefa to make a statement in her London Marathon debut. As she toes the starting line alongside a field of formidable competitors, all eyes will be on the clock to see if she can etch her name into the record books once more and solidify her position as the greatest female marathoner of this generation.

Key Takeaways

• Tigst Assefa, women's marathon world record holder, to debut in London
• Aims to break women's-only course record of 2:17:01 set in 2017
• London Marathon boasts exceptionally strong women's field, could see record fall
• 2024 London Marathon to award equal prize money to able-bodied and wheelchair racers
• Men's race considered wide open in absence of last year's winner Kelvin Kiptum