Kenyans Eliud Kipchoge and Jemima Sumgong were triumphant at the London Marathon
By Mark Crellin
Last Updated: 24/04/16 5:09pm
Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya came home alone in the London Marathon to triumph in a course record time of two hours, three minutes and five seconds.
And there was also a Kenyan winner of the women's race as Jemima Sumgong claimed a surprise win, despite taking a heavy fall.
Kipchoge is the world's best in the marathon and the defending champion produced the second-quickest run at the distance in history, just outside the world record mark of 2:02:57 set by Dennis Kimetto.
After a duel with New York champion and fellow Kenyan Stanley Biwott, Kipchoge powered away over the final three kilometres to make it six wins from his seven marathons.
Biwott finished 46 seconds behind Kipchoge, with Kenenisa Bekele of Ethiopia taking third.
In the women's race, Sumgong came down at around 23 miles, after an altercation with Aselefech Mergia in an incident that also saw one of the favourites Mary Keitany fall.
Sumgong, who had previously been a runner-up in the Boston, Chicago and New York marathons, cracked her head against the floor but managed to fight back and re-join, then pass, the leading group.
And she went on to claim her first major title in 2:22.58, as defending champion Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia failed to reel her in down the home stretch and finished five seconds behind, with Florence Kiplagat third.
Britain's David Weir was again denied a record seventh victory in the men's wheelchair race, which was won by Switzerland's Marcel Hug.
Having finished second in 2014 and 2015, Weir came home in third place this time, the 2014 winner Hug powering away in the closing sprint to defeat American Kurt Fearnley.
Fearnley's fellow American Tatyana McFadden continued her domination of the women's wheelchair race, claiming her fourth successive victory.
She was pushed all the way by Manuela Schar but took the tape at one hour 45 mins 20 secs.
Regarding the British team for the Olympics this summer, Scot Callum Hawkins finished eighth in the elite men's race in 2:10.55 to book his ticket to Rio.
And Tsegai Tewelde, who was born in Eritrea but claimed asylum in Britain after the 2008 World Cross Country Championships, will be joining Hawkins in Brazil, having finished 12th.
Hawkins' brother Derek was third home of the Brits in 14th overall and, having also hit the Olympic standard, could be offered a discretionary place in the team.
In the women's event, Brits Alyson Dixon and Sonia Samuels also ensured their selection for the Olympics after going head to head for the majority of the race.
The duo had already achieved the Olympic qualification standard of 2:31.00 and the pair celebrated together after Dixon had finished 13th in 2:31.52, with Samuels eight seconds behind in 14th.
Charlotte Purdue was the next home runner to finish (16th overall) on her debut over the distance and could yet join them in Rio.
British astronaut Tim Peake ran the 26.2 miles harnessed to a treadmill aboard the International Space Station, with a simulation of the route through London's streets playing on an iPad.
The 44-year-old finished in three hours and 35 minutes, 20 minutes slower than when the former British Army helicopter test pilot ran the course in 1999.
