FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Kipsang and Kiplagat Reign Supreme for Kenya
Wilson Kipsang Wins The 2014 Virgin Money London Marathon
The sun-bathed British capital was treated to a wonderful demonstration of
world class marathon running this morning as world record holder Wilson
Kipsang broke the men's course record to regain the Virgin Money London
Marathon title he won two years ago, while two-times world champion Edna
Kiplagat made it third time lucky as she finally claimed the women's crown
after finishing runner-up for the last two years.
Both led Kenyan one-twos as Kipsang shrugged off Stanley Biwott in the last
mile of the race to cross the line 26 seconds clear in 2:04:29, while
Kiplagat won a duel in the sun against her namesake Florence Kiplagat to
win by three seconds in 2:20:21.
It was yet another day of Kenyan dominance in London as their great east
African rivals from Ethiopia had to be satisfied with two third places,
defending men's champion Tsegaye Kebede taking his fifth podium finish in
six races here, and marathon first-timer Tirunesh Dibaba clinching third in
the women's, just 14 seconds behind the winner.
By contrast, the much anticipated debut of Mo Farah ended in disappointment
as the double world and Olympic champion track champion failed in his bid
to break the long-standing British record, finishing tired and drained in
eighth place, his time of 2:08:21 more than a minute outside his target.
It wasn't all bad news, though, as Farah took 12 seconds from the English
marathon record of 1984 Olympic bronze medallist Charlie Spedding, set here
in 1985.
"It was just a bad day at the office," he said.
It was a good day for Kipsang though as he added the London course record
to those he already holds for the Berlin and Frankfurt Marathons. Two years
ago he crossed the finish line more than two minutes clear after dominating
the race in the second half. This year, he bided his time, kicking away
from a pack of eight after 30km with a burst that only Biwott could match.
The two ran shoulder-to-shoulder for 10km, past the Tower of London and on
to the Embankment, before Kipsang made his move with just over 2km left.
From there he was never in trouble, and made up for a sluggish first half
to break Emmanuel Mutai's three-year-old course record by 11 seconds,
sprinting down The Mall to cross the line with arms outstretched.
"It's really great to win the London Marathon again, and I hope to do it
again very soon," said Kipsang. "It was around 31km that I decided to push
harder as I felt very comfortable and strong. I pushed again towards the
finish line and that's when I broke away."
Kiplagat's win was harder to come by. She and Florence Kiplagat broke away
from Dibaba when the Ethiopian stopped to pick up a dropped drinks bottle
at the 30km feeding station, and then raced together towards Westminster,
Florence at first looking stronger before Edna led them into the final 200m
stretch towards the famous finish gantry.
Florence broke the world half marathon record recently and many were
tipping her to win, but after three minor medals here in the past, this
time Edna was having none of it.
"I felt very strong so I wasn't too worried," she said of the close finish.
While it was a good day for the women's world champion, it was a bad one
for the men's as Uganda's Stephen Kiprotich finished 12th. It was a tough
day for the women's Olympic champion too, as Tiki Gelana could only place
ninth on her return to London a year after colliding with a wheelchair
racer.
Marcel Hug won the men's wheelchair contest this year as Britain's David
Weir was again denied in his bid to make London Marathon history with a
seventh title. After finishing fifth last year, the six-times winner was
outgunned by world champion Marcel Hug in a four-man sprint.
After placing second three times, the Swiss racer got it right at last as
he led Weir across the line in 1:32:41, the Briton just one second behind.
Meanwhile, Tatyana McFadden proved that she is still the dominant force in
women's wheelchair racing. The reigning champion hung on to her crown with
ease, winning by a massive margin in 1:45:12, smashing her own course
record by nearly a minute.
World champion Manuela Schar was second for Switzerland on her London
debut, just ahead of former London champion Wakako Tsuchida, while
Britain's Shelly Woods was ninth.
El Amin Chentouf was again the first athlete home in the IPC Athletics
Marathon World Cup. The Moroccan world champion defended his T11-13 title
in 2:25:07, more than a minute outside the world record he set 12 months
ago.
Spain's Maria Paredes Rodriguez retained the women's T11-13 race in
2:59:22, smashing the world record she set here a year ago.
Britain's Richard Whitehead won the T42 race in 3:42:04, while Brazil's
Tito Sena added the T44-46 World Cup title to his T46 marathon gold from
the London 2012 Paralympics, beating last year's champion Alessandro di
Lello of Italy.
Santiago Sanz won the men's T51/52 wheelchair race in 1:58:16, edging out
USA's Raymond Martin and Britain's Rob Smith.
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