London Marathon 2026 F65-69: Tyler Runs the Women's Field Down

• Linda Tyler won the F65-69 age group in 3:24:20 (7:48/mi), climbing from 2,088th among women at 5K to 1,506th by 35K — a relentless forward march through the field.
• Sandy Masters took 2nd in 3:28:25, finishing 4:05 behind Tyler — a clear margin, though she held a strong mid-race position before fading slightly in the final 7K.
• 3rd and 4th were separated by just 12 seconds: Catherine Ferguson (3:36:21) and Joanna Girling (3:36:33) — the closest battle on the podium.
• Heather Khoshnevis (5th, 3:38:19) ran the opposite race to Girling, fading from 1,958th among women at 5K all the way to 3,008th by the finish after a fast early 5K–10K split.

Linda Tyler didn't just win the F65-69 age group — she won it by moving. Starting conservatively and sitting 2,088th among women through the first 5K, she tracked steadily forward through every checkpoint, reaching 1,506th by 35K. That's a gain of more than 580 places in the women's field across the first 35 kilometres. The 14 mph wind on a cool, overcast London morning made that kind of disciplined, even effort especially valuable, and Tyler's 7:48/mi average tells the story: no dramatic surges, just relentless forward momentum.

Sandy Masters ran a similar patient race, moving from 2,441st among women at 5K to 1,844th by 35K before fading slightly over the final stretch to finish 1,938th. Her 3:28:25 — a 7:57/mi average — was good enough for a comfortable 2nd place, though Tyler had already put four minutes of clear air between them.

The real drama unfolded in the fight for 3rd. Catherine Ferguson and Joanna Girling crossed in 3:36:21 and 3:36:33 respectively — 12 seconds apart after 26.2 miles. Ferguson ran a notably cautious early race; her best split came in the 10K–15K segment, but she faded steadily through the women's field from 2,429th to 2,785th. Girling took the opposite arc, starting deep in the pack (3,116th among women at 5K) and clawing back more than 300 places by the finish, posting her strongest relative split in the final 2K. She ran out of road just 12 seconds too soon.

Heather Khoshnevis (5th, 3:38:19) offers a cautionary tale: she was the fastest in the age group through the early going, sitting 1,958th among women at 5K, but faded to 3,008th by the finish — a drop of over 1,000 places in the women's field. The 281 finishers in the F65-69 age group produced a compelling spread of tactics, but on this day in London it was Tyler's measured patience that proved decisive.