Since the 2017 London Marathon, the world record for an all-women marathon has been 2.17.01.
But Kenyan Mary Keitany’s time was beaten today by her 30-year-old compatriot.
Picked up the pace at the end
Jepchirchir is the reigning Olympic gold medalist and aims to defend the gold in Paris this summer.
It was a tight quartet for a while, but when Jepchirchir picked up the pace, Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa (whose 2.11.53 is the women’s marathon record where men and women start together) and the other two competitors.
– I feel grateful. I am so happy about the victory. I didn’t expect to run in a world record time. I knew that the record might be broken, but I did not expect that it would be me who broke it, says the 30-year-old to BBC.
Half an hour after the ladies started in London, it was also time for the men. There, Alexander Mutiso Munyao, Ethiopia, was the fastest and won in a time of 2.04.01.