Millions Sebastian Sawe Will Pocket For Beating Eliud Kipchoge And Co to Win 2025 London Marathon

Running just his second career marathon, Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe delivered a remarkable performance to win the men’s 2025 London Marathon in 2:02:27 — the second-fastest time ever recorded at the event.

 The 30-year-old surged away from a lead group of nine runners about 90 minutes into the race, adding a prestigious London crown to his Valencia Marathon triumph from December 2024.

Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, the pre-race favorite and half marathon world record holder, marked an impressive debut, finishing second in 2:03:37. 

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Kenya’s Alexander Mitiso Munyao secured third in 2:04:20, while four-time London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge came in sixth after clocking 2:05:25.

Sebastian Sawe’s victory earned him $55,000 (Ksh 7,122,500.00) in prize money — the standard award for winning the elite men's race. 

Although he narrowly missed out on a $150,000 (Ksh 19.5 million)  bonus awarded for running under 2:02, the London triumph represents a significant career milestone and cements his growing reputation among marathon elites.

In the women’s race, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa delivered another historic moment by smashing the women's-only marathon world record. She pulled away from Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei to cross the finish line in 2:15:50, eclipsing the previous mark set by Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir. 

Assefa, fresh off her Olympic silver medal in Paris 2024, continued to cement her place among long-distance running's elite. Britain's Eilish McColgan finished eighth in a strong showing on home soil.

Assefa won  an additional $25,000 for breaking Jepchirchir’s record.

Since 2024, the London Marathon has taken bold steps to promote equality by offering the same prize money to elite wheelchair racers and able-bodied athletes. In 2025, the total prize pot across elite categories stood at £243,000, underlining the event’s commitment to fairness and its global prestige.

The prize structure awarded $55,000 to each winner, $30,000 (£23,100) to the runner-up, and $22,500 (£17,400) for third place. 

Additionally, lucrative bonuses were available: $150,000 for breaking the 2:02 barrier for men or 2:15 for women, $125,000 for setting a new world record, and $25,000 for establishing a new course record.