F80+ London 2026: Mackay takes the 80+ title in 5:39:45

• Helena Mackay won the F80+ race in 5:39:45 (12:57/mi), the fastest time among 10 finishers in this age group.
• Susan Nicholls finished 2nd in 5:44:16, just 4 minutes and 30 seconds back — the closest gap on the podium.
• Gina Little rounded out the podium in 5:54:49, while Clare Johnson (4th, 6:20:47) and Leonisa Raquel Ponte Marono (5th, 6:23:17) were separated by just 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
• The F80+ field spanned nearly four and a half hours from first to last: Jeanette Aker completed her marathon in 10:08:39 (23:13/mi) — every finisher in this group crossed the line.

Ten women aged 80 and over toed the start line of the TCS London Marathon on a cool, breezy April morning — 56°F with a 14 mph wind — and all ten of them finished. That alone is the headline underneath the headline. But within that remarkable group, a genuine race unfolded at the front.

Helena Mackay controlled the early miles from a relatively strong position in the women's field, then spent much of the middle stretch fading through the gender standings before steadying in the final segment. She crossed in 5:39:45 at 12:57/mi to claim the F80+ title. Susan Nicholls ran the opposite kind of race: she was further back in the women's field at halfway but moved steadily forward through 25K, 30K, and beyond, posting the 17,653rd-fastest women's split on the 25K–30K stretch as she reeled in the field around her. Nicholls finished 2nd in 5:44:15 — a 4:30 gap to Mackay that reflects a genuine chase rather than a comfortable margin.

Gina Little, 3rd in 5:54:49, was the quickest off the blocks among the three podium finishers — she held a stronger position in the women's field through the early 5K–10K segment — but gradually moved back through the standings as Mackay and Nicholls pressed on. Clare Johnson (4th, 6:20:47) and Leonisa Raquel Ponte Marono (5th, 6:23:17) ran within 2:30 of each other across the full 26.2 miles, with Johnson finding her best relative gear on the late 35K–40K stretch.

June Allingan finished 6th in 6:33:16, followed by Julie Anne Wilson (7th, 7:16:57) and Patricia Seabrook (8th, 7:20:38). Patsy Holt (9th, 9:06:12) and Jeanette Aker (10th, 10:08:39) each took their own time to conquer London's streets — and conquer them they did.