Elite Runners Break World Records At TCS London Marathon

Imagine this, you’ve just ran 26 miles in the Spring heat, you’re exhausted, your legs feel like lead but the buzz of the cheering marathon crowds streams through your veins … The brief for this year’s Elite runners trophy design was that the weight of the trophies wasn’t over 2.5kgs, so the winners could experience the joy of lifting their trophy in elation after such a triumph! & they most definitely did!

So much goes into every detail of training and preparing for such a race, and it’s all about the detail for EFX too. The TCS London Marathon brand is angled at 26.2 degrees, reflecting the distance of the course which was recreated on the trophy. There are 44 ascenders on the outer ring that make up 44 marathons, the inner ascender makes the 45^th London Marathon, striking through the middle, marking 45 years of the London Marathon. All of the previous winners names are digitally printed onto each trophy to represent such a monumental & historical event.

Sebastian Sawe and Tigst Assefa emerged victorious in the elite races at the 2025 London Marathon on Sunday (27 April) with Assefa winning with a new women’s only world record of 2:15:50. Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner retained their wheelchair crowns.

Women’s Elite winner Assefa said “After the Olympics, I prepared specifically for this race. It’s been a long build-up but it’s paid off. I’m very happy not only to have won, but to have run a women’s only world record… “The atmosphere was very special and I enjoyed the crowds.”

Tower Designs

We looked into how we could create a lighter weight trophy and decided to make them out of a black anodised hollowed out aluminium tower with solid top. These were then digitally printed in gold on all four sides for first place, silver for second and bronze for third. An added polished gold plate was provided for the TCS London Marathon with laser engraved detail for on the day winners.

Congratulations to all of the runners in the London Marathon 2025 – what an achievement! 

Photographer credit PA Media