London Marathon breaks world record for number of finishers

(Reuters) - London Marathon organizers said Sunday's edition of the event set a world record for the number of finishers, eclipsing the previous mark of 55,646 set at last year's New York City Marathon.

Organizers did not provide a final figure but said a new mark had been set at 6:35 p.m. (1735 GMT) with runners still crossing the finish line.

Kenyan Sabastian Sawe won the men's elite race while Ethiopian Tigst Assefa shattered the women's-only world record.

"The TCS London Marathon is the world's greatest marathon, and it is now officially the world's biggest marathon," Hugh Brasher, CEO of London Marathon Events, said in a statement on Sunday.

A record 56,000 runners had been expected to participate in the 42.195 km race that started at Greenwich Park, snaked along the River Thames before finishing on The Mall.

(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford )