Sunday, 24 April 2016

London Marathon: Jemima Sumgong & Eliud Kipchoge win elite races

London Marathon: Jemima Sumgong & Eliud Kipchoge win elite races

London Marathon: Sumgong wins despite fall
Jemima Sumgong recovered from a fall to win the women's London Marathon as fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge retained the men's title.
Sumgong, 31, grazed her head on the road when tripped by Ethiopian Aselefech Mergia as they approached a water station.
Sumgong rejoined the leading group to take her first London title in two hours 22 minutes 58 seconds.
Kipchoge, 31, won in 2:03:04, seven seconds outside the world record.
It was the second-fastest marathon in history, bettered only by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto's 2:02:57 in Berlin in 2014.
Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the men's wheelchair race ahead of Britain's Paralympic champion David Weir in third, while American Tatyana McFadden won the women's race for a fourth consecutive year.

Sumgong falls, Sumgong wins

Sumgong, who has been a runner-up in the Boston, Chicago and New York marathons, was in the front pack when she stumbled near the 22-mile mark.
Mergia clipped the back of Sumgong's heel, and it brought both of them down along with pre-race favourite Mary Keitany.
But Sumgong, despite showing signs of discomfort as she checked her head injury, caught the leaders before breaking clear.
She finished five seconds ahead of last year's winner Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia (02:23.03), with Kenyan Florence Kiplagat third in 2:23.39.

'One of the greatest races in history'

Kenya's Kipchoge retains men's marathon
Kipchoge was neck-and-neck with compatriot Stanley Biwott on the 24th mile, before the reigning champion burst forward to take the outright lead.
He raised his finger in celebration as he made the final turn, before realising just before the line that he could have broken Kimetto's world record.
The Kenyan brought his hand to his forehead as he saw he had missed the record by seven seconds, but he soon got over the disappointment as he secured a course record and personal best time.
Biwott was second with a personal best of 2:03.51, while Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele was third with a 02:06.36 finish.
BBC commentator Steve Cram described the race as "one of the greatest in history".

Britons book Rio 2016 places

The London Marathon doubled up as an official British trial for the Olympics in Rio this summer.
Alyson Dixon and Sonia Samuels secured their places in Team GB by finishing as the top two British women.
Dixon was 13th in 2:31:52 and Samuels 14th - eight seconds behind - both having already achieved the Olympic qualification standard of 2:31:00.
London Marathon debutant Charlotte Purdue was 16th in 2:32:48 and could be awarded a discretionary Olympic berth.
Scotland's Callum Hawkins and Tsegai Tewelde also booked GB spots for Rio, finishing eighth in 2:10:52 and 12th in 2:12.23 respectively.
African Tewelde is from Eritrea and claimed asylum in Britain after competing in the 2008 World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh.
Hawkins' elder brother Derek was 14th in 2:12:57 and, like Purdue, could be offered a discretionary place for Rio.

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