List of winners of the London Marathon

The London Marathon, one of the six World Marathon Majors,[1] has been contested by men and women annually since 29 March 1981. Set over a largely flat course around the River Thames, the marathon is 26.2 miles (42.2 km) in length[2] and generally regarded as a competitive and unpredictable event, and conducive to fast times.[3]

The inaugural marathon had 7,741 entrants, 6,255 of whom completed the race.[4] The first Men's Elite Race was tied between American Dick Beardsley and Norwegian Inge Simonsen, who crossed the finish line holding hands in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 48 seconds.[5] The first Women's Elite Race was won by Briton Joyce Smith in 2:29:57.[5] In 1983, the first wheelchair races took place. Organized by the British Sports Association for the Disabled (BASD), 19 people competed and 17 finished. Gordon Perry of the United Kingdom won the Men's Wheelchair Race, coming in at 3:20:07, and Denise Smith, also of the UK, won the Women's Wheelchair Race in 4:29:03.[6]

Twenty athletes representing the United Kingdom have won the London Marathon a total of forty times. The most recent win by a British athlete was in the 2012 London Marathon, by David Weir in the Men's Wheelchair Race. It was his sixth win in London. Kenya has the second largest number of winning athletes. Seven Kenyan men and seven Kenyan women have been victorious a total of eighteen times, all in the able-bodied category. Eleven men, including those from the wheelchair races, have won the marathon more than once, Weir's six wins being the record. Sixteen women have been winners more than once; Tanni Grey-Thompson won the women's wheelchair race six times between 1992 and 2002.

Course records for the London Marathon have been set ten times in the men's race, seven times in the women's race, sixteen times in the men's wheelchair race, and seventeen times in the women's wheelchair race. World records for marathon running have been set six times considering marks for men and women in mixed sex and women-only races. Khalid Khannouchi, representing the United States, set the men's world record in 2:05:38 in 2002. The following year, British runner Paula Radcliffe set the women's world record in 2:15:25, which also stands as the current course record in the Women's Elite Race. In 2017 Kenyan Mary Keitany ran a women-only race world record of 2:17:01. Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya set the course record at 2:02:37 in 2019 in the Men's Elite Race. Marcel Hug of Switzerland set the Men's Wheelchair Race course record at 1:26:27 in 2021. The course record for the Women's Wheelchair Race was set by Swiss athlete Manuela Schär in 2021, with 1:39:52.

Elite race – men's winners

Dick Beardsley shared the inaugural London Marathon title with Inge Simonsen.
2009 winner Samuel Wanjiru beat Martin Lel's year-old course record by just five seconds.
YearAthleteNationalityTime
(h:m:s)
Notes
1981Dick Beardsley (Tie)  United States2:11:48Course record
Inge Simonsen (Tie)  Norway
1982Hugh Jones  United Kingdom2:09:24Course record
1983Mike Gratton  United Kingdom2:09:43
1984Charlie Spedding  United Kingdom2:09:57
1985Steve Jones  United Kingdom2:08:16Course record
1986Toshihiko Seko  Japan2:10:02
1987Hiromi Taniguchi  Japan2:09:50
1988Henrik Jørgensen  Denmark2:10:20
1989Douglas Wakiihuri  Kenya2:09:03
1990Allister Hutton  United Kingdom2:10:10
1991Yakov Tolstikov  Soviet Union2:09:17
1992António Pinto  Portugal2:10:02
1993Eamonn Martin  United Kingdom2:10:50
1994Dionicio Cerón  Mexico2:08:53
1995Dionicio Cerón  Mexico2:08:30Second victory
1996Dionicio Cerón  Mexico2:10:00Third victory
1997António Pinto  Portugal2:07:55Course record; second victory
1998Abel Antón  Spain2:07:57
1999Abdelkader El Mouaziz  Morocco2:07:57
2000António Pinto  Portugal2:06:36Course record; third victory
2001Abdelkader El Mouaziz  Morocco2:07:09Second victory
2002Khalid Khannouchi  United States2:05:38World marathon record
2003Gezahegne Abera  Ethiopia2:07:56
2004Evans Rutto  Kenya2:06:18
2005Martin Lel  Kenya2:07:35
2006Felix Limo  Kenya2:06:39
2007Martin Lel  Kenya2:07:41Second victory
2008Martin Lel  Kenya2:05:15Course record; third victory
2009Samuel Wanjiru  Kenya2:05:10Course record
2010Tsegaye Kebede  Ethiopia2:05:19
2011Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai  Kenya2:04:40Course record
2012Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich  Kenya2:04:44
2013Tsegaye Kebede  Ethiopia2:06:04Second victory
2014Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich  Kenya2:04:29Course record; second victory
2015Eliud Kipchoge  Kenya2:04:42
2016Eliud Kipchoge  Kenya2:03:05Course record; second victory
2017Daniel Wanjiru  Kenya2:05:48
2018Eliud Kipchoge  Kenya2:04:17Third victory
2019Eliud Kipchoge  Kenya2:02:37Fourth victory: Course Record
2020Shura Kitata Tola  Ethiopia2:05:58
2021[7]Sisay Lemma  Ethiopia2:04:01
2022Amos Kipruto  Kenya2:04:39
2023Kelvin Kiptum  Kenya2:01:25Course record
2024Alexander Mutiso  Kenya2:04:01

Elite race – women's winners

Paula Radcliffe won the London Marathon three times in four years, setting the course record twice.
Joyce Chepchumba was the first non-European to win the women's competition.
YearAthleteNationalityTime
(h:m:s)
Notes
1981Joyce Smith  United Kingdom2:29:57Course record
1982Joyce Smith  United Kingdom2:29:43Course record; second victory
1983Grete Waitz  Norway2:25:29World marathon record
1984Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway2:24:26Course record
1985Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway2:21:06World marathon record; second victory
1986Grete Waitz  Norway2:24:54Second victory
1987Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway2:22:48Third victory
1988Ingrid Kristiansen  Norway2:25:41Fourth victory
1989Véronique Marot  United Kingdom2:25:56
1990Wanda Panfil  Poland2:26:31
1991Rosa Mota  Portugal2:26:14
1992Katrin Dörre-Heinig  Germany2:29:39
1993Katrin Dörre-Heinig  Germany2:27:09Second victory
1994Katrin Dörre-Heinig  Germany2:32:34Third victory
1995Małgorzata Sobańska  Poland2:27:43
1996Liz McColgan  United Kingdom2:27:54
1997Joyce Chepchumba  Kenya2:26:51
1998Catherina McKiernan  Ireland2:26:26
1999Joyce Chepchumba  Kenya2:23:22Second victory
2000Tegla Loroupe  Kenya2:24:33
2001Derartu Tulu  Ethiopia2:23:57
2002Paula Radcliffe  United Kingdom2:18:56Course record
2003Paula Radcliffe  United Kingdom2:15:25World marathon record (mixed); second victory
2004Margaret Okayo  Kenya2:22:35
2005Paula Radcliffe  United Kingdom2:17:42World marathon record (women-only); third victory
2006Deena Kastor  United States2:19:35
2007Zhou Chunxiu  China2:20:38
2008Irina Mikitenko  Germany2:24:14
2009Irina Mikitenko  Germany2:22:11Second victory
2010Aselefech Mergia  Ethiopia2:22:38Initially third but Liliya Shobukhova and Inga Abitova both disqualified retrospectively
2011Mary Jepkosgei Keitany  Kenya2:19:19
2012Mary Jepkosgei Keitany  Kenya2:18:37Second victory
2013Priscah Jeptoo  Kenya2:20:15
2014Edna Kiplagat  Kenya2:20:21
2015Tigist Tufa  Ethiopia2:23:21
2016Jemima Sumgong  Kenya2:22:58
2017Mary Jepkosgei Keitany  Kenya2:17:01World marathon record (women-only); third victory
2018Vivian Cheruiyot  Kenya2:18:31
2019Brigid Kosgei  Kenya2:18:20
2020Brigid Kosgei  Kenya2:18:58Second victory
2021[7]Joyciline Jepkosgei  Kenya2:17:43
2022Yalemzerf Yehualaw  Ethiopia2:17:26
2023Sifan Hassan  Netherlands2:18:33

Wheelchair race – men's winners

YearAthleteNationalityTime
(h:m:s)
Notes
1983Gordon Perry  United Kingdom3:20:07Course record
1984Kevin Breen  Ireland2:38:40Course record
1985Chris Hallam  United Kingdom2:19:53Course record
1986Gerry O'Rourke  Ireland2:26:38
1987Chris Hallam  United Kingdom2:08:34Course record; second victory
1988Ted Vince  Canada2:01:37Course record
1989David Holding  United Kingdom1:59:31Course record
1990Håkan Ericsson  Sweden1:57:12Course record
1991Farid Amarouche  France1:52:52Course record
1992Daniel Wesley  Canada1:51:42Course record
1993George Vandamme  Belgium1:44:10Course record
1994David Holding  United Kingdom1:46:06Second victory
1995Heinz Frei  Switzerland1:39:14Course record
1996David Holding  United Kingdom1:43:48Third victory
1997David Holding  United Kingdom1:42:15Fourth victory
1998Heinz Frei  Switzerland1:35:18Course record; second victory
1999Heinz Frei  Switzerland1:35:27Third victory
2000Kevin Papworth  United Kingdom1:41:50
2001Denis Lemeunier  France1:42:37
2002David Weir  United Kingdom1:39:44
2003Joël Jeannot  France1:32:02Course record
2004Saúl Mendoza  Mexico1:36:56
2005Saúl Mendoza  Mexico1:35:51Second victory
2006David Weir  United Kingdom1:29:48Course record; second victory
2007David Weir  United Kingdom1:30:51Third victory
2008David Weir  United Kingdom1:33:56Fourth victory
2009Kurt Fearnley  Australia1:28:57Course record
2010Josh Cassidy  Canada1:35:21
2011David Weir  United Kingdom1:30:05Fifth victory
2012David Weir  United Kingdom1:32:26Sixth victory
2013Kurt Fearnley  Australia1:31:29Second victory
2014Marcel Hug  Switzerland1:32:41
2015Josh George  United States1:31:31
2016Marcel Hug  Switzerland1:35:19Second victory
2017David Weir  United Kingdom1:31:06Seventh victory
2018David Weir  United Kingdom1:31:15Eighth victory
2019Daniel Romanchuk  United States1:33:37
2020Brent Lakatos  Canada1:36:04
2021[8]Marcel Hug  Switzerland1:26:27Course record; third victory
2022[9]Marcel Hug  Switzerland1:24:38Course record; fourth victory
2023[10]Marcel Hug  Switzerland1:23:44Course record; fifth victory

Wheelchair race – women's winners

YearAthleteNationalityTime
(h:m:s)
Notes
1983Denise Smith  United Kingdom4:29:03Course record
1984Kay McShane  Ireland3:10:04Course record
1985Kay McShane  Ireland2:47:12Course record; second victory
1986Kay McShane  Ireland3:02:40Third victory
1987Karen Davidson  United Kingdom2:45:30Course record
1988Karen Davidson  United Kingdom2:41:45Course record, second victory
1989Josie Cichockyj  United Kingdom3:03:54
1990Connie Hansen  Denmark2:10:25Course record
1991Connie Hansen  Denmark2:04:40Course record; second victory
1992Tanni Grey-Thompson  United Kingdom2:17:23
1993Rose Hill  United Kingdom2:03:05Course record
1994Tanni Grey-Thompson  United Kingdom2:08:26Second victory
1995Rose Hill  United Kingdom2:17:02Second victory
1996Tanni Grey-Thompson  United Kingdom2:00:10Course record; third victory
1997Monica Wetterström  Sweden1:49:09Course record
1998Tanni Grey-Thompson  United Kingdom2:02:01Fourth victory
1999Monica Wetterström  Sweden1:57:38Second victory
2000Sarah Piercy  United Kingdom2:23:30
2001Tanni Grey-Thompson  United Kingdom2:13:55Fifth victory
2002Tanni Grey-Thompson  United Kingdom2:22:51Sixth victory
2003Francesca Porcellato  Italy2:04:21
2004Francesca Porcellato  Italy2:04:58Second victory
2005Francesca Porcellato  Italy1:57:00Third victory
2006Francesca Porcellato  Italy1:59:57Fourth victory
2007Shelly Woods  United Kingdom1:50:40
2008Sandra Graf  Switzerland1:48:04Course record
2009Amanda McGrory  United States1:50:39
2010Wakako Tsuchida  Japan1:52:33
2011Amanda McGrory  United States1:46:31Course record; second victory
2012Shelly Woods  United Kingdom1:49:10Second victory
2013Tatyana McFadden  United States1:46:02Course record
2014Tatyana McFadden  United States1:45:12Course record; second victory
2015Tatyana McFadden  United States1:41:14Course record; third victory
2016Tatyana McFadden  United States1:44:14Fourth victory
2017Manuela Schär  Switzerland1:39:57Course record
2018Madison de Rozario  Australia1:42:58
2019Manuela Schär  Switzerland1:44:09Second victory
2020Nikita den Boer  Netherlands1:40:07
2021[8]Manuela Schär  Switzerland1:39:52Course record; third victory
2022[9]Catherine Debrunner  Switzerland1:38:24Course record
2023[10]Madison de Rozario  Australia1:38:51Second victory

Victories by nationality

CountryMen's
race
Women's
race
Men's
wheelchair
Women's
Wheelchair
Total
 United Kingdom67161544
 Kenya17140031
 Netherlands01012
 Norway16007
 Ireland01236
 Ethiopia54009
 United States212611
 Germany05005
 Mexico30205
 Italy00044
 Portugal31004
 Switzerland008513
 Canada00404
 Denmark10023
 France00303
 Japan20013
 Sweden00123
 Australia00224
 Morocco20002
 Poland02002
 Soviet Union10001
 Belgium00101
 China01001
 Spain10001

References

General
  • "Race Results and Reports". Virgin Money. Retrieved 15 June 2016.
Specific

External links