Mary Keitany sets new women's record in London marathon
Kenyan Daniel Wanjiru wins men's race in two hours, five minutes and 48 seconds
By Nadeem Badshah
Last Updated: 24/04/17 5:02pm
Mary Keitany won the women's race in the London marathon after smashing the world record.
The Kenyan finished in two hours 17 minutes and one second, breaking the women-only world marathon record of two hours 17 minutes and 42 seconds set by Britain's Paula Radcliffe in 2005.
Her compatriot Daniel Wanjiru won the men's race in two hours five minutes and 48 seconds, nine seconds ahead of Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele.
Keitany made a fast start and beat Ethiopian Tirunesh Dibaba, who finished second after being forced to stop briefly due to stomach cramps, by 55 seconds. Didaba was taking part in only her second marathon.
Fellow Ethiopian Aselefech Mergia finished third in a time of two hours, 23 minutes and eight seconds.
Keitany, 35, adds to her three victories in the New York Marathon.
Meanwhile, Alyson Dixon was the first British women's runner to cross the finish line followed by Charlotte Purdue and Tracy Barlow.
Jo Pavey dropped out around the 16-mile mark and in doing so failed to secure a place in the squad for August's World Championships as she needed to finish in the top two British runners to qualify.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry joined hands earlier to press the traditional red button which started the races.
Organisers said a total of 40,382 people collected their race packs, meaning this year's 37th event in the capital outstripped the 2016 record of 39,140 competitors.
