BY AFP
Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir won the women’s London marathon in a world record time of 2 hours 16 minutes 16 seconds for a women’s only race on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Kenyan came home in front of Tigst Assefa and Joyciline Jepkosgei to break the world record mark without male pacemakers.
Jepchirchir beat the women’s-only course record of 2:17:01 set by Kenya’s Mary Keitany in 2017.
In the men’s race, Alexander Mutiso Munyao beat three-time Olympic track champion Kenenisa Bekele to win win his first World Major Marathon.
The 27-year-old Kenyan came home in a time of 2 hours 4 minutes 01 second with Britain’s Emile Cairess in third.
Back to the women’s race, the focus was on retired British star Paula Radcliffe record of 2:15:25 in a mixed-sex marathon in London in 2003, using male pacemakers. Both Assefa and Jepchirchir had hinted at lowering it in the race.
World record holder Assefa had been the pre-race favourite but she could not live with Jepchirchir’s kick for the finish line inside the final kilometre.
Both she and Jepkosgei also finished inside the previous women’s-only record time.
Two-time former London marathon winner Brigid Kosgei finished fifth behind Megertu Alemu.
Poignant Day
The men’s race was preceded by 30 seconds of applause for last year’s winner Kelvin Kiptum, who was killed in a car accident in February.
Munyao ensured a poignant day ended with another Kenyan victory but only after being pushed by the 41-year-old Bekele.
The Ethiopian, who has won Olympic gold in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres, came close to winning on the streets of the British capital for the first time.
Bekele and Munyao pulled clear of a group including world champion Tamirat Tola but the younger man had the legs in the final few kilometres to win by 14 seconds.
Behind them it was a great day for the British duo of Cairess and Mahamed Mahamed as they finished third and fourth respectively.