分类： sports

The Australian Football League (AFL) has announced it will not rush its assessment of a formal submission from the Carlton Blues regarding young player Elijah Hollands, whose recent public mental health episode has sparked scrutiny of the club’s handling of the incident. The situation is unprecedented in its public profile, league officials say, requiring careful, deliberate consideration rather than a quick response.

Hollands, a Carlton player, was hospitalized last week after experiencing a mental health episode during Carlton’s tight five-point round six loss to Collingwood. After completing an internal review of the circumstances surrounding the incident, Carlton submitted its findings to the AFL on Friday – just hours before the club faced the Fremantle Dockers in an away match in Perth on Saturday night.

AFL general manager Greg Swann emphasized the sensitivity of the situation in comments to reporters on Monday, prioritizing Hollands’ well-being over a speedy resolution. “First of all, we’re still giving our best wishes to Elijah,” Swann said. “It’s been a harrowing week for him and his family, so we’re wishing him the best. Look, we got a submission from Carlton on Friday, Laura [Kane] and her team are handling that. There’s no rush on this, this is a really delicate matter. I haven’t seen anything play out like this publicly as this instance. It will take as long as it does, but that’s been received and we’ll work through it from there.”

The incident and subsequent review have not been without controversy: following Hollands’ episode, Carlton coaching and club staff faced intense public scrutiny over how the situation was managed. Addressing the criticism last Thursday, Carlton head coach Michael Voss pushed back hard against external observers, arguing that the scrutiny of his staff had crossed a line.

Voss described the ongoing criticism of his team as “bordering on bullying”, and urged the public and media to approach the case with empathy, framing it as a deeply personal mental health issue rather than a public spectacle. “I think we’ve all been impacted in some way as families and you individually, maybe there’s a few here who have struggled with some mental health in recent times,” Voss said. “Maybe it’s been a family member, maybe it’s been a friend, maybe it’s been a loved one. All I just ask is that: What would you want? What would you want right now? And that’s all we ask.”

In a related update, Hollands’ brother Ollie, who has joined the Blues for training in recent days, was not selected for Carlton’s match against Fremantle over the weekend. As of Monday, no timeline has been set for the AFL to conclude its review and release its findings, with league officials reiterating that supporting Elijah Hollands’ recovery remains the top priority.

A fierce debate over the future of young Canterbury Bulldogs playmaker Lachlan Galvin has erupted in the NRL, after rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns called for the 20-year-old to be shifted out of the halfback position, drawing a staunch defense from the club’s senior leadership.

Johns, one of the sport’s most legendary halfbacks, made the recommendation that Galvin move to five-eighth, with rookie Mitchell Woods brought into the starting halfback spot to boost the side’s attacking creativity. The suggestion came in the wake of Canterbury’s underwhelming loss to an injury-depleted Brisbane Broncos side last week, a result that added to growing criticism of Galvin’s recent form.

But Bulldogs captain Stephen Crichton has doubled down on the club’s public support for the young playmaker, echoing head coach Cameron Ciraldo’s strong defense of Galvin after the Broncos match. Crichton pointed to Galvin’s standout round 6 performance, where the young halfback turned in the best NRL showing of his fledgling career to spearhead a shocking upset win over premiership favorites Penrith Panthers.

Crichton argued that the swing in public opinion on Galvin, from widespread praise just two weeks ago to heavy criticism after the Broncos loss, ignores inconsistent support from the rest of the Bulldogs squad. He emphasized that the club remains fully committed to Galvin as their long-term starting halfback, noting that the young playmaker’s dominant performance against Penrith embodied the level of play the side expects from the position.

“He’s been getting criticised a lot lately for the way that our team’s been performing,” Crichton said. “Ever since he’s come to the club, I’ve always said that if you’re not getting criticised, you’re not doing your job right. I feel like he’ll be learning off this… As a young 20-year-old, he’s going to become a player – one of the greats – sooner or later. I feel like all the lessons that he’s taking right now are pretty harsh, but it’s going to build him up to be the player that he wants to be.”

Galvin, who has built a strong on-field combination with edge forward Jacob Preston since joining the Bulldogs, still has gaps in his game that require development, Crichton acknowledged, adding that Galvin was far from the only Canterbury player to underperform against Brisbane.

The position debate comes as Canterbury navigates a dramatic form slump 12 months on from a flying start to their 2023 campaign. This year, the Bulldogs have claimed just three wins from their opening seven matches, leaving them outside the NRL’s top eight, a stark contrast to this point last season when they sat atop the league table with only one loss through the first eight rounds and were considered genuine premiership contenders.

Crichton, who will lead the side against the North Queensland Cowboys this coming Friday, admitted he has not faced this level of public criticism at any point during his time at the club. But the captain said the squad is tuning out outside noise from media and social media, focusing instead on internal accountability to address their inconsistent performances.

“We’re at a big club with a big fan base. There are always going to be people with their opinion,” Crichton said. “Regardless of media attention and regardless of social media posts and things like that, as long as you have the opinion of your players and the coaching staff, that’s the only opinions that you can listen to… We know what our best is, and our worst is a long way away from that as well. We’ve just got to try and bridge that gap between our mindset and our preparation to the game.”

As Bayern Munich prepares for one of the most high-stakes matches of the European football calendar, star striker Harry Kane’s unselfish, team-first approach has emerged as the defining factor behind the German giants’ push for Champions League glory, ahead of Tuesday’s semi-final opening leg against defending champions Paris Saint-Germain in Paris.

At 31, Kane only claimed his first major senior team trophy last season, when he helped Bayern secure the Bundesliga title in his debut campaign after moving from Tottenham Hotspur. He has already added a second consecutive German league crown to his collection this term, and the centuries-old winning culture at the Allianz Arena has clearly shaped his priorities ahead of the May final in Budapest. The winner of this semi-final tie is widely tipped to go on to lift Europe’s most prestigious club trophy.

Kane’s individual performances this season remain nothing short of spectacular. Across all competitions, the England captain has netted an incredible 53 goals in 45 outings, a goalscoring haul no English player in a top European league has matched in nearly 100 years. Critically, most of his standout strikes have come when Bayern needed them most: his clinical long-range finish against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu secured a crucial away win in the quarter-finals, and his first-half opener in the return leg pulled Bayern level on the night and flipped the tie back in their favor when elimination looked increasingly likely.

When Kane left Tottenham for Bavaria in summer 2024, many football pundits questioned his decision, noting he was just 47 goals short of breaking Alan Shearer’s all-time Premier League scoring record. At his former club, Kane was often criticized by observers for piling up personal goalscoring records without delivering major team silverware. But in hindsight, his consistent goalscoring at Spurs was always rooted in a desire to lift his team, a trait that has become even clearer at a title-contending Bayern side packed with attacking talent across the pitch. Unlike his spell at Tottenham, Kane now regularly drops deep into midfield to help build up play, creating space for his teammates to exploit rather than constantly positioning himself for goal chances.

That willingness to put team ambitions above individual glory has been on full display in recent weeks. After Bayern wrapped up the Bundesliga title earlier than expected, the club shifted its full focus to the Champions League, and Kane has willingly accepted a reduced role in domestic fixtures. Back in February, following a 4-2 win over Borussia Dortmund, Kane had scored four straight doubles, notching 30 goals in just 24 Bundesliga outings and putting him well on track to beat Robert Lewandowski’s long-standing single-season record of 41 league goals. Since that point, however, Kane has only started one of Bayern’s seven remaining league matches, with head coach Vincent Kompany resting him to keep him fresh for European competition.

Far from pushing for more minutes to chase the record, Kane has fully backed the decision. After coming off the bench to help Bayern stage a dramatic 4-3 comeback win over Mainz on Saturday, Kane made his priorities clear to reporters. “It’ll be tough to chase down Lewandowski’s record,” he admitted. “Obviously I’m here to try and win the Champions League and try and win the German Cup. So, ultimately that takes priority. All I can do is when I’m on the pitch, try and score, try and impact the game.” As Bayern’s biggest global star, the striker could easily demanded more playing time to chase personal milestones, but his commitment to the club’s bigger goals has kept the squad unified heading into the PSG clash.

Bayern sporting director Christoph Freund highlighted the unique cohesion within the camp after the Mainz comeback, which saw the side overturn a 3-0 deficit to claim all three points. “This team is truly something special — that team spirit, that mentality — it is truly unique,” Freund said. “That gives us a tremendous amount of energy for Tuesday.”

Kane has struck a respectful tone when talking about Tuesday’s opponents, acknowledging PSG’s status as the tournament’s defending champions. “They are the reigning European champions for a reason,” Kane said. “They’re a really strong side with some great quality and are well-coached. There’s going to be a lot of activity. It’s going to come down to moments and quality.”

One major hurdle for Bayern is that head coach Vincent Kompany will be suspended for the first leg, leaving his English assistant Aaron Danks to take charge of the team from the dugout. Kane, however, insisted that the side is well-prepared to cope without Kompany on the touchline, pointing to the team’s impressive form this season that has seen them lose just twice across all competitions. “Of course we’ll miss him on the sideline. He’s our boss and our leader,” Kane said. “But everyone knows what needs to be done, even if the boss isn’t on the sideline.”

In a thrilling edition of one of cycling’s most prestigious Monument races, two-time world champion Tadej Pogacar secured his fourth career victory at Liege-Bastogne-Liege, outlasting a sensational breakout performance from 19-year-old French rising star Paul Seixas across 260 brutal kilometers of Ardennes climbing. What could have been a story of a veteran champion shutting down a young challenger instead became a landmark moment for cycling’s generational shift, as Pogacar openly declared that it is only a matter of time before the teen sensation “destroys” the entire pro peloton and claims the sport’s top spot.

The race’s decisive moment unfolded when Pogacar launched his signature, race-shattering attack on the Cote de la Redoute with 35 kilometers remaining to the finish line. On this iconic climb, the ninth of 11 punishing ascents on the day’s route, every other top contender including Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel faded and dropped out of the leading group. The only rider who could match Pogacar’s blistering pace was Seixas, who stayed shoulder-to-shoulder with the champion all the way until the final climb of the Cote de Roche-aux-Faucons. With 14 kilometers left, halfway up the steep ascent, Seixas finally cracked, clearing the way for Pogacar to take the solo win.

Following the race, Pogacar spoke glowingly of the 19-year-old’s performance, noting that Seixas’s already elite level at such a young age pushes every other rider in the peloton to raise their own standards. “He’s 19 now, and we all know riders typically peak physically between 26 and 30 years old,” Pogacar explained. “We’re all going to keep working as hard as we can to win as many races as we can, until he destroys everybody.”

Seixas’s meteoric rise over the past 12 months has been one of the most talked-about stories in professional cycling. Still registered as a junior just 12 months ago, he immediately excelled when stepped up to senior competition, notching eighth overall at the Criterium du Dauphine, 13th at the 2023 World Championships, seventh at another Monument, the Tour of Lombardy, and a bronze medal at the European Championships behind only Pogacar and Evenepoel. In 2024, his momentum has only accelerated: he has already won the Tour of the Basque Country stage race, plus one-day classics Fleche Wallonne and Ardeche Classic. He also took a narrow second place to Spain’s Juan Ayuso at the Tour of the Algarve, and now has two runner-up finishes to Pogacar this season, after Strade Bianche and Sunday’s Liege-Bastogne-Liege. In short, he has already cemented his status as the second-best rider in hilly one-day classics, behind only the all-conquering Pogacar.

When asked what he needs to add to his toolkit to finally beat the four-time Tour de France champion, Seixas was blunt: “Power. That seems obvious. I just have to keep improving. His level is extraordinary, it’s extremely difficult to follow him. He’s the greatest rider of all time.” The teen added that he was happy with his performance on Sunday, noting that development takes time: “There’s more work to do but that’s normal. You can’t skip the steps, so we’ll just be satisfied with that today.”

For Pogacar, the win adds another milestone to a already historic career that now includes four Tour de France titles, two world championships, and 13 Monument race victories. The Slovenian star is now set to take on new challenges in the coming weeks: he will make his debut at the six-day Tour of Romandie starting Tuesday, followed by his first start at the Tour of Switzerland in June. Few are betting against him winning both events; if he does, he will only have two major races left on his bucket list: Paris-Roubaix, where he finished in the top 10 in both of his two starts, and the Vuelta a Espana, where he took third as a 20-year-old in his only appearance in 2019.

Even with his incredible success, Pogacar made clear that the bar will only get higher with Seixas in the peloton, adding that each year competition will get tougher. “It’s just a matter of time when we lose to him,” he said.

Before Sunday’s race, Evenepoel had publicly questioned whether Seixas could maintain his elite form over the 260-kilometer distance, as the teen had never won a senior race longer than 200 kilometers before. Seixas answered all doubts by putting in a six-hour performance that proved he has the stamina and endurance to compete with the best over the longest courses. After the race, Evenepoel praised the young rider’s performance: “He showed again today that he is one of the best climbers in the world and he has a very good punch as well. The whole world can only be saying chapeau to him.”

As the 2025 State of Origin series approaches, Manly Sea Eagles interim head coach Kieran Foran has thrown his full weight behind in-form back-rower Haumole Olakau’atu to claim a starting position on the right edge for the New South Wales Blues in the series opener.

Olakau’atu, who earned two bench appearances for the Blues during the 2024 Origin campaign, has entered a red-hot run of form over the past month since Foran took over interim coaching duties at Manly. His standout performance came in Sunday’s victory over the Parramatta Eels, where the 27-year-old wrecking ball delivered a dominant stat line: 229 running metres, 13 tackle breaks, and four expert offloads that proved critical to Manly’s win.

“Without a doubt, he deserves a spot in the starting 17,” Foran told reporters after the match. While acknowledging that the final selection falls to NSW’s official selection panel, Foran argued that Olakau’atu’s current form and steady growth set him apart from other talented back-rowers across the competition. “He’s a special talent. When he first broke into the league four or five years ago, he was raw, but he’s improved his game every single season. Now at 27, with more than 115 NRL games under his belt, he’s finally tapped into just how destructive he can be on the field,” Foran explained.

The interim coach added that Olakau’atu’s quiet, humble demeanor has often flown under the radar, but his recent performances have proven his elite level. “He doesn’t chase external praise or attention, but inside, he’s built the belief to compete at the highest level. He’s been unbelievable all year, and the sky really is the limit for him. He has a unique combination of size, speed, and aerial ability that very few players in the competition can match,” Foran said.

Foran’s coaching shift has been a key factor in unlocking Olakau’atu’s best form, encouraging the forward to take control of matches rather than waiting for opportunities to come his way. That adjustment comes as a lesson Olakau’atu also took away from his limited 2024 Origin opportunities, where he recorded just two carries across his two bench appearances. “Everything moved so fast when I got out there last year,” Olakau’atu said. “The biggest takeaway for me was that I can’t wait for the game to come to me. Origin is all about big moments, and if you get the chance to take the field at that level, you have to make it count.”

Currently, Olakau’atu says he is keeping his focus entirely on club duties rather than the growing Origin hype surrounding his name. “I see the talk on social media every now and then, but my only job right now is to help Manly get wins, and I feel like I’ve been delivering that the past couple of weeks,” he said. “Of course, every kid grows up dreaming of playing NRL, let alone Origin, the highest level of our sport. If I get that opportunity, I’ll grab it with both hands and make the most of it.”

With starting incumbent Liam Martin sidelined by injury, Olakau’atu named Canterbury Bulldogs forward Jacob Preston as his biggest competitor for the right edge starting spot, while Angus Crichton and Hudson Young are vying for the other available back-row position. Crichton, a seasoned Origin veteran who plays for the Sydney Roosters, has also thrown his support behind the Manly star, saying Olakau’atu is more than ready for the starting role. “We’ve got so many quality back-rowers to choose from, but I watched his game on Sunday, and he’s playing some of the best footy of his career,” Crichton said. “He’s a great bloke, too. I love playing alongside him, and if he gets the call-up, he’s 100% ready to go.”

For NSW Blues head coach Laurie Daley, who already faces a selection headache with a deep pool of quality back-row candidates, Olakau’atu’s unrivaled recent form makes him impossible to ignore ahead of the series kick-off in one month.

For rising rugby league star Mark Nawaqanitawase, the bittersweet reality of his impending departure from the Sydney Roosters at the end of the 2024 NRL season has finally set in — even as a career-defining milestone looms on the horizon: a potential debut for New South Wales in the State of Origin series just four weeks from now.

At 25 years old, Nawaqanitawase has packed an extraordinary amount of achievement into just 31 top-flight NRL matches since switching codes from rugby union. The former Wallabies winger has not only notched one of the most iconic individual tries in recent rugby league memory, but also earned representative honors representing Australia in rugby league’s Ashes series. Now, he has emerged as the leading candidate to fill the vacant Blues wing spot left by Zac Lomax, who returned to rugby union after a standout 2023 Origin campaign for New South Wales.

NSW Blues head coach Laurie Daley is widely expected to shortlist Nawaqanitawase for the game one squad, which will be announced next month. The dynamic winger has put his case for selection beyond doubt with a blistering run of form, crossing for three doubles in his last four outings. He also previously attended the Blues’ pre-camp earlier this year, putting him firmly in Daley’s plans.

Despite the hype around his possible Origin call-up, the soft-spoken winger says his full attention remains on the Roosters, who sit comfortably in the top half of the ladder after a dominant Anzac Day win over their rivals. Speaking to reporters at Bondi Beach on Monday, where he joined teammates including Connor Watson and Daly Cherry-Evans for a recovery swim, Nawaqanitawase played down speculation about his selection.

“What will be, will be. But I’m just trying to put my best foot forward here at the Chooks, play some good footy and make sure that we’re moving along well this year,” he said. “It’s always nice to get a higher honour. But again, I’m not really focused on it at the moment. Yeah definitely I watched Origin all the time growing up. I think it’s been a part of most kids who play rugby league growing up. It’s always been something that I’ve wanted to do, so if it happens, it happens.”

At the end of the season, Nawaqanitawase will return to rugby union, where he will face a difficult choice: compete in the upcoming Rugby League World Cup with Australia, or join the Wallabies on their annual Spring Tour of Europe. For now, though, he is focused on soaking up his remaining months in the NRL, having grown deeply attached to the club and code that welcomed him when he made the cross-code switch.

“This week and the last few weeks I’ve come to the realisation it’s going to be my last few months coming up,” he said, leaving open the possibility of a return to the Roosters further down the line. “So it’s been quite sad thinking about it because I love the club, I love the boys and just the whole environment. My family and I are really going to miss it, so I’ve just got to make sure I enjoy every moment that I can. I’ve been shown a lot of love and support from all fans, even ones that don’t even follow the Roosters. So it’s been a great experience for me, and I’ve just got to enjoy it because it doesn’t last forever. Coming over to rugby league and just the NRL as a whole has super exceeded what I thought I was going to feel and be a part of. I’m going to miss it every week.”

When Nawaqanitawase first arrived in the NRL from rugby union, few predicted he would adapt so quickly to become one of the competition’s most exciting attacking weapons, earning a reputation as a high-flying offload specialist capable of turning the faintest half-chance into a spectacular try. The winger says his time in rugby league has transformed his game, adding layers of physicality and defensive discipline that will serve him well no matter where his career takes him.

“I’m a different player to what I was two or three years ago now,” he said. “In a non-arrogant way, it’s a bigger, better, faster kind of thing. I’ve grown up a little bit, obviously learnt a lot physically and being able to do a lot more and just defensively as well. I’ve learnt so much and I know it will make me a better player wherever I go.”

The chaos of Chelsea’s turbulent 2024-25 campaign took a sudden, redemptive turn at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, as midfielder Enzo Fernandez’s first-half header secured a 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory over Leeds United, sending the Blues through to a May 16 final showdown with Manchester City. The result comes just four days after Chelsea sacked head coach Liam Rosenior, capping a dramatic week that has upended the club’s season amid a devastating run of poor form.

Rosenior’s tenure at Stamford Bridge ended after just 106 days, cut short following a five-game losing streak that saw Chelsea fail to find the net once – the club’s worst such run since 1912. The writing was on the wall after a humiliating 3-0 away defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, where Rosenior publicly criticized his players’ commitment and fighting spirit. That outburst proved to be the final straw for Chelsea’s ownership, deepening already visible rifts between the manager and the first-team squad that had surfaced after Rosenior dropped Fernandez for two matches. The Argentine had been dropped after hinting in a media interview that he could consider leaving the club at the end of the season, a controversy that undermined Rosenior’s already fragile authority from his earliest weeks in charge.

Rosenior’s departure follows widespread unrest in the dressing room, with multiple key players having already expressed frustration over the sacking of previous manager Enzo Maresca earlier this year, and internal leaks over team selection further eroding trust. The terrible run of form has already ended Chelsea’s hopes of qualifying for next season’s UEFA Champions League: the club sits 10 points behind fifth-placed Aston Villa with just four matches remaining in the Premier League, eliminating any chance of securing a top-five finish that would have earned a European spot.

Stepping into the interim role just days before the semi-final was Calum McFarlane, previously the head coach of Chelsea’s Under-21 side who was promoted to assist Rosenior earlier in the season. Inheriting a fractured dressing room and a squad low on confidence, McFarlane has already earned praise for coaxing a cohesive, focused performance out of the players in their first match since the sacking. For Chelsea, a club with eight FA Cup titles to their name and 16 previous final appearances, a win over Guardiola’s side at Wembley would not only deliver their first FA Cup crown since 2018, but also salvage a campaign that has otherwise been written off as a failure. It would also make McFarlane one of the most unlikely title-winning managers in the competition’s long history.

Sunday’s semi-final was a missed opportunity for Leeds, who reached their first FA Cup semi-final since 1987 and had not appeared in a final for 53 years. The Championship side came close to taking an early lead when Brenden Aaronson broke clean through on goal after a slip from Chelsea defender Trevoh Chalobah, but the American dragged his attempt off target, failing to beat Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Chelsea responded immediately with a chance of their own, as Joao Pedro drilled a low close-range strike against the near post, wasting the opening.

It was Fernandez who broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute, quieting the anxiety that hung over Chelsea’s side. After Leeds defender Pascal Struijk gave away possession deep in his own half, Pedro Neto intercepted the loose ball and curled a pinpoint cross into the six-yard box, where Fernandez headed into the far corner for what would prove to be the only goal of the game. The strike ended a nearly 300-minute goal drought for Chelsea, whose last goal had come against third-tier side Port Vale in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

Leeds made a half-time substitution, bringing on German midfielder Anton Stach, who came inches away from equalizing with his very first touch – a long-range thunderbolt that forced a brilliant save from Sanchez. Leeds improved considerably after a lackluster first half, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin failed to convert a good headed chance, directing his effort straight at the Chelsea keeper. Tensions boiled over moments later when Sanchez required treatment for a knock, with Leeds players accusing the Spaniard of feigning injury to allow Chelsea a tactical break, leading to a heated scuffle on the touchline. While tempers flared, the match never approached the intensity of the infamous brutal 1970 FA Cup final between the two historic rivals.

Chelsea held firm through the final minutes to close out the win, restoring a small measure of pride to a season that has been overshadowed by off-field chaos and poor results. They now turn their focus to Wembley next month, where they will face a Manchester City side that fought back from a one-goal deficit to beat Southampton 2-1 in the other semi-final on Saturday, in what is set to be one of the most hotly anticipated FA Cup finals in recent memory.

The 2025 London Marathon delivered two pieces of history on Sunday, as Kenya’s Sebastian Sawe became the first athlete to run a ratified sub-two-hour marathon in an official competition, while Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa smashed her own women’s-only world record to defend her title.

Sawe, the defending 2024 men’s champion, entered the race openly predicting a landmark performance, and he delivered beyond expectations, crossing the finish line in an official time of 1 hour 59 minutes 30 seconds. The 31-year-old Kenyan’s achievement rewrites marathon history: while Eliud Kipchoge ran a 1:59:40 in an experimental 2019 event, that performance was never ratified as an official world record because it broke standard competition rules for pacing, fluids and event format, with specialized non-regulation equipment. Sawe’s run, by contrast, complies with all official rules and stands as the first recognized sub-two-hour marathon in open competition.

What made Sawe’s performance even more remarkable is the depth of the field’s results: the top three men all finished inside the previous official world record of 2:00:35, set by the late Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Through the first half of the 26.2-mile course, Sawe led a tight leading pack of six elite runners that included Olympic champion Tamirat Tola and Uganda’s half-marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo, with the group passing the halfway mark in 1:00:29, on pace to break the two-hour barrier. As the race progressed, the pack strung out, leaving Sawe and Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, running his first ever marathon, to battle neck-and-neck through the closing miles. With just one mile remaining, Sawe made his decisive surge, pulling clear of Kejelcha to finish alone, taking a full 65 seconds off Kiptum’s previous world record. Kejelcha held on to finish second in 1:59:41, the fastest debut marathon in history, while Kiplimo took third place in 2:00:28.

After crossing the line, a visibly elated Sawe shared his confidence going into the race, held on a mild warm spring day in London. “I am feeling good. I am so happy. It is a day to remember for me,” Sawe told reporters, noting his target time had even been scribbled on his running shoe before the start. “Coming to London for the second time was so important to me and that’s why I prepared well. Finally, what I had done for four months it has come today to be a good result.” Sawe ran in Adidas’s new Pro Evo 3 supershoe, which weighs less than 100 grams, and had openly teased a record attempt in pre-race media comments.

In the women’s-only race, Assefa matched Sawe’s historic performance by breaking her own world record to defend her 2024 London Marathon title. The 29-year-old Ethiopian, a reigning Olympic and world silver medalist, was locked in a tight three-way battle for the lead with Kenyan stars Hellen Obiri and Joyciline Jepkosgei through most of the race, before breaking away in the closing kilometers to cross the line in 2:15:41. Her time shaved nine seconds off the women’s-only world record she set on the same London course in 2024.

“It’s one of my plans really coming into this competition to break my own world record from last year’s race,” Assefa said after the race. “So to do that has brought me a lot of satisfaction. To repeat my victory from last year means even more. The happiness I feel is just swelling up inside me.” Obiri, a two-time 5000m world champion and 2024 Paris Olympic marathon bronze medalist, finished just 12 seconds behind Assefa to take second place in a new personal best of 2:15:53, edging out compatriot Jepkosgei by just 0.02 seconds. It is worth noting that the fastest marathon ever run by a woman in a mixed-gender race, where female runners benefit from male pacemakers, is 2:09:56, set by Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich at the 2024 Chicago Marathon.

Beyond the elite race history, the 46th edition of the London Marathon also set new records for participation and charitable giving. More than 59,000 runners were expected to complete the 42.2-kilometer course, beating 2024’s record of 56,640 finishers, which already stood as the most for any marathon in history. Organizers announced last month they are considering expanding the 2026 event to two days, which would allow up to 100,000 runners to participate. The 2025 race also raised a record £87.3 million ($118 million) for charitable causes, retaining its title as the world’s largest annual one-day fundraising event.