Kipchoge smashes CR, Sumgong seals London double

Eliud Kipchoge uncorked the second fastest marathon of all time to smash the London Marathon record and retain his title in an astonishing 2:03:05 as Jemimah Jelagat Sumgong took the women’s honours in 2:22:58 for the Kenyan double on Sunday.

Kipchoge and Sumgong will definitely lead the queue for the Kenyan marathon team for Rio 2016 Olympics with the former obliterating Wilson Kipsang’s previous route best of 2:04:29 set in 2014 by well over a minute to lead compatriot Stanley Biwott who ran a career best 2:03:51 to the tape.

“The support was fantastic. I realised I ran a world record for 30 kilometers, then between 30 and 40 I lost about 20 seconds,” Kipchoge said. ”The record can be for the next time. But I’m happy I ran the course record.”

“It was a good race and I felt okay. I fell down at 10K and the leg was getting painful after 25K. Congrats @EliudKipchoge,” the deposed course record holder Kipsang tweeted after the race.

It was a race against the clock for the Berlin winner after he easily motored away from Biwott who stuck with him when they dropped the rest of a world class field led by Ethiopia’s great, Kenenisa Bekele (2:06:36), who came in third on his London debut in the final kilometre as he missed Dennis Kimetto’s 2:02:57 world record by a mere eight seconds.

In the corresponding women’s race Sumgong out-lasted defending champion Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia to win the title after battling back from a heavy fall to clinch the World Marathon Majors showpiece with the 2015 winner five seconds in arrears.

-Untouchable Kipchoge-

Like the finest of wines, Kipchoge, 31 seems to be getting better with age and Sunday gave the world another master class in distance running and a demonstration of his peerless talent when he held on to his crown in the most emphatic of fashions.

The sight of his archrival from his days on the track, Kenenisa gave him further motivation to bring out his best and at the end of the 42km; he had crushed his nemesis by a staggering 3 minutes and 31 seconds.

From the gun, Kipchoge wasted little time to get to the front as the race took off in world record pace and it did not take long for the heavyweights to start falling off under the blistering pace as the sun broke out over the British capital despite the slight wind.

The elite men went through halfway in 61:23; the fastest ever in this race and well inside the world record pace and another milestone was marked at the 30K mark when they crossed in 1:27:13, a new world record that topped the previous best of 1:27:20.

With his world record set at the 2014 Berlin Marathon in severe danger, Kimetto was the first of the favourites to fall off before eventually staggering home in ninth, a yawning 8:39 off the finishing time of the man likely to succeed him as the standard bearer.

It capped another disappointing display from Kimetto who was third here last year and it also did not take long for his training partner and Volare Sports stable-mate, Kipsang to be cut off from contention as his dreams for the London hat-trick went up in smoke.

From halfway, it was Kipchoge, Biwott and Kenenisa for the title and the Ethiopian track great who will make a decision whether to go for the marathon or 10000m in Rio who was next to be dropped as the Kenyan pair surged ahead.

By the 35th mile, the leading pair were just outside the world record and shortly after, Kipchoge effortlessly, almost in slow motion, glided away from Biwott and in the final 600m, a quick glace at his watch was followed by a sprint for the tape as he chased Kimetto’s stand.

In the end, he fell just a little short but it did not take anything away from the breathtaking performance that will resonate for years to come.

World champion, Girmay Ghebreslassie of Eritrea (2:07:46), Kipsang (2:07:52) and Ethiopia’s Tilahun Regassa (2:02:47) rounded the top six.

-Lucky 14 for Sumgong-

Coming in as a rank outsider, Sumgong also 31, stunned an equally loaded cast for her biggest career victory on her 14th marathon having ran 2:24:23 for sixth in the British capital last year.

Tigist (2:23:03) and two-time Berlin winner, Florence Kiplagat (2:23:39) closed the podium on a day Kenyan runners who took a beating from their Ethiopian arch-nemesis in Boston a week ago answered back in style.

It placed Sumgong in pole position to clinch a place in Kenya’s women’s marathon team for the Rio Olympics in Brazil in the summer in what will be her second outing after finishing fourth at last year’s IAAF World Championships in Beijing where she ran 2:27:42.

The elite women also started like a house on fire, hitting 32:34 for the first 10km in what was a sub 2:18 pace for the finish with two-time winner, Mary Keitany taking charge at the front with punishing front running.

Alongside, compatriots and two-time Berlin and Chicago marathon champion, Kiplagat, Sumgong and Ethiopian trio of titleholder, Tigist, Aselefech Mergia as well as world champion Mare Dibaba kept close.

Former winner, Priscah Jeptoo started falling back from the pace in the first surprising development of the race seemingly not recovered well enough from injury that has dogged her for the last two years.

There was drama when Keitany, Mergia and Sumgong tangled and fell before they picked themselves up and took after the leaders as they approached a water point.

The fall was not the only unwelcome incident in the race for the winner, she also had a near miss with an over enthusiastic spectator. The fan appeared to have skipped a barrier and made his way on to the course as Sumgong kicked away from the main group, security wrestled him away but in doing so nearly collided with the race leader who continued unfazed.

Towards the business end of the race, Keitany who was reported not to be 100 percent fit for London dropped off as Sumgong caught up with the frontrunners and then took it on with Dibaba and Tufa kept close attention to the fourth finisher at the Beijing World Championships.

Behind them, Kiplagat tried to keep up as she faltered in the second half of another major marathon with Mergia also out of the running at this stage.

With 2:12:44 of the race gone, Sumgong and Tufa separated from Beijing winner Mare and the Kenyan started to build up a small gap as they approached the final two kilometres of the race.

The 2014 runner-up from New York was within sight of glory with 600m as she subtly moved away for her biggest career victory and a sure place in the Kenyan team for the Olympics.

Without looking behind, Sumgong powered away for the win before she pumped the air in sheer delight and bowed down on the tarmac in prayer.

She thus completed an amazing recovery from her heavy fall to join the class of the famous winners of the Majors showpiece.

LEADING RESULTS

Men

1          Eliud Kipchoge (KEN)           02:03:05

2          Stanley Biwott (KEN)             02:03:51

3          Kenenisa Bekele (ETH)       02:06:36

4          Girmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 02:07:46

5          Wilson Kipsang (KEN)          02:07:52

6          Tilahun Regassa (ETH)       02:09:47

7          Sisay Lemma (ETH)             02:10:45

8          Callum Hawkins (GBR)         02:10:52

9          Dennis Kimetto (KEN)           02:11:44

10        Ghebre Kibrom (ERI)            02:11:56

Women

1          Jemima Sumgong (KEN)     02:22:58

2          Tigist Tufa (ETH)       02:23:03

3          Florence Kiplagat (KEN)      02:23:39

4          Volha Mazuronak (BLR)      02:23:54

5          Aselefech Mergia (ETH)       02:23:57

6          Mare Dibaba (ETH) 02:24:09

7          Feyse Tadese (ETH)           02:25:03

8          Priscah Jeptoo (KEN)           02:27:27

9          Mary Keitany (KEN)             02:28:30

10        Jessica Augusto (POR)        02:28:53