The 23-year-old missed Kipchoge’s world record by just 16 seconds, making it the second-fastest time ever recorded. Meanwhile, Dutch Olympic track champion Sifan Hassan won the women’s race in her debut at the distance, despite battling a hip injury. The 30-year-old produced a remarkable run to win in two hours 18 minutes 33 seconds. Both Kiptum and Hassan put up outstanding performances, beating some of the best runners in the world.
The London Marathon is a significant event in the athletic calendar, with over 47,000 runners raising millions of pounds for charity. The 2023 event was special since it returned to its traditional date in the calendar, in April, for the first time since 2019 after being moved due to Covid-19. The show was characterized by huge crowds that lined the streets of London, disregarding the damp conditions.
As much as Kiptum and Hassan’s records were the highlights of the event, there were other winners too that deserve recognition. Swiss athlete Marcel Hug knocked 50 seconds off his own course record to win his third consecutive London Marathon men’s wheelchair race and fifth in total. Meanwhile, Australian Madison de Rozario clinched the women’s wheelchair event for the second time, holding off Manuela Schar of Switzerland in a sprint finish.
