Culture
Energy in London
Scenes from the London Marathon
The biggest news out of the 2024 London Marathon is no doubt Kenyan Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir’s win in 2:16:16 to claim the women’s-only world record. She not only knocked down Mary Keitany’s record of 2:17:01 that had stood since 2017 but also held the current overall women's world best Tigst Assefa to second place. (Women’s-only world records can only be set in events in which there are no men – pacers or competitors – on the course. Assefa's Berlin 2023 win in 2:11:53 is still the fastest women's time outright.)
Another Kenyan, 27-year-old Alexander Mutiso, dominated the mens' event, coming home in 2:04:01. Taking silver, Ethiopian runner Kenenisa Bekele broke his own men's master's record with a time of 2:04:15, 20 years after his first Olympic gold in the 10,000m at Athens. UK runner Emile Cairess took third place in 2:06:46.
There was plenty of other action, too, as over 50,000 people, a record number, took part in Sunday's event, which organisers hailed as the “most inclusive yet”. This year was the first time that wheelchair and non-disabled athletes received the same prize money for a marathon. Swiss compatriots Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner won the men's and women's wheelchair races in times of 1:28:38 and 1:38:52 respectively. It was Hug's fourth straight win in London.
Congratulations to everyone who turned out on a blustery, overcast day to make their 42-kilometre (26 miles) pilgrimage through the UK capital. Enjoy these scenes from London Bridge and surrounds.