She said the warmer temperatures (near 68 degrees by race end) helped her improve over last year’s performance. "Last year, I did have some problems with the cold," said Assefa, who was second in 2024.

Tigst Assefa broke the world record for a women’s only marathon race in London this morning, with Eilish McColgan also eclipsing her mum Liz’s Scottish record to finish eighth on her 26.2-mile debut.

Assefa finished the race, with no male runners on the course, in 2:15:50, pulling away from Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei.