ATHLETICS: London Marathon breaks record for largest number of finishers

The London Marathon broke the record for the highest number of finishers in a marathon, with 59,830 participants completing the course to surpass the mark of 59,226 at last year's New York City event.

Kenya's Sabastian Sawe shattered the world record to become the first man to run the marathon in under two hours, followed by Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha, who also breached the two-hour barrier on Sunday.

"To then break the record of the largest number of finishers in the history of marathons underlines the inspirational nature of the London Marathon. We are incredibly proud to have set a new Guinness World Record," said Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events.

In the women's race, three women ran under two hours and 16 minutes in a single race for the first time ever, as Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa defended her title by shattering her own women's-only world record.

-Reporting by Paras J. Haji in Bengaluru, editing by Ed Osmond/Reuters