Kipchoge edges Kenyan battle
KENYAN Eliud Kipchoge triumphed in the men’s London Marathon yesterday, while Ethiopian Tigist Tufa won the women’s race and Britain’s David Weir finished runner-up in the men’s wheelchair race.
Kipchoge finished in two hours, four minutes, 42 seconds to win the race for the first time, five seconds ahead of 2012 and 2014 winner Wilson Kipsang.
The two Kenyans were tied with 600m remaining before Kipchoge broke away. Scott Overall was the fastest Briton, completing the 26.2-mile route in 2:13:12.
Tufa sprinted to a 2:23:22 finish in the women’s race, beating two-time champion Mary Keitany into second. The 2014 Shanghai marathon winner broke away from Keitany to win by a comfortable 18 seconds. Britain’s Sonia Samuels finished 16th in 2:31:45.
In the men’s wheelchair race, Weir was denied a seventh winner’s medal by Joshua George in the final sprint. The American finished one second ahead of Weir in a time of 1:31:31. Weir, who also lost by the same margin in last year’s marathon, was overhauled with around 12 metres remaining.
A London Marathon record of more than 37,500 people took part in this year’s event, according to organisers.