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Sifan Hassan has revealed what cost her the London Marathon title after settling for a distant third place.
Olympic marathon champion Sifan Hassan has revealed what cost her victory in the 2025 London Marathon after the versatile athlete was forced to settle for third place on Sunday afternoon.
Billed as an Olympic rematch for the ages between 2024 Olympic silver and gold medallists Tigst Assefa and Sifan Hassan, the highly anticipated showdown lived up to its early hype — at least through the opening stages.
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Alongside Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei and Ethiopia’s Megertu Alemu, the trio blazed through the first 10K, setting a scorching pace.
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Hassan, known for her psychological tactics, played her familiar mind games — surging forward, drifting back, then re-engaging — just as she did during her triumphant run at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
However, this time, the gap started to widen. A 10-second deficit turned into 26 seconds, then ballooned to over 70 seconds as it became clear the title would be fought between Assefa and Jepkosgei.
Ultimately, it was Assefa who seized the day, storming to victory in a brilliant 2:15:50, smashing Peres Jepchirchir’s women-only world record that had been set at last year's edition.
After the race, Hassan candidly admitted that breathing issues plagued her right from the start.
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"I really struggled with breathing even in the first 5K. Every time I tried to close the gap — at 5K, 10K, 15K, and 20K — I felt like they were still so far away from me,” Hassan said.
“I wanted to catch up, but they just stayed out of reach. I lost my rhythm, and it felt like I forgot how to close the gap."
She also reflected on her interrupted preparation, which she believes played a role in her difficulties.
"I think it's partly because I was out for four months, and after only three months of preparation, even though I'm in good shape, I probably needed more competition.
“ Some of the others, like Julie, already raced a half marathon — she ran 64 minutes, which is amazing. But for me, after almost seven months without racing, I think my body and brain forgot how to push.
“ I'm really grateful to be back after the Olympics. After Tokyo, I crashed hard for almost a year, so just returning now feels like a huge blessing."
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Given it was the first time she was racing following a tight Olympic year in 2024, Hassan shared that her primary goal had been to return to training sensibly without suffering another breakdown.
"That (2024) was an Olympic year, and honestly, I didn’t know what was going to happen (coming back). I just wanted to stay injury-free, have a good break, and come back stronger.
“ I focused on both my mental and physical recovery, making sure I didn’t crash again. I knew the next two years would be really busy with marathons, so I cared a lot about doing it right. I kept pushing myself without stopping, and I’m really grateful for that. The girls did very well — they’re strong."
Hassan added that physical discomfort during the race made the challenge even greater.
"I really couldn't breathe. I don’t know why. Maybe it was because of the cold. Every time I took water, it didn’t go down properly, and it made it even harder to breathe.
“ I just couldn't figure it out. Things only started to get a little better after 20K, but by then, the gap was already too big.
“ It wasn't the heat — it was just so hard. When you can’t even see your competitors, it becomes really tough to push yourself."
Despite the setback, Hassan remained grateful to be back competing at the highest level, with her sights still firmly set on the challenges ahead.
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