LONDON — Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw won the women’s London Marathon on Sunday ahead of last year’s winner Joyciline Jepkosgei.
Yehualaw, 23, only ran her first competitive marathon in April in Germany, winning it with the first fastest time in history and an Ethiopian record, and she did light field work at London.
In the absence of world record holder and two-time London Marathon champion Brigid Kosgei, who withdrew with a hamstring injury, seven women had emerged mid-run, led by Ethiopian Ashete Bekere.
One by one, the leading group gave up, with Yehualaw falling at kilometer 33, and the Kenyan Jepkosgei picking up the pace to widen the gap with the peloton five kilometers from the end.
Yehualaw established a considerable lead in the closing stages, crossing the line in two hours, 17 minutes and 25 seconds, ahead of Jepkosgei and Ethiopia’s Alemu Megertu in third.