Gelana claims crown

Tiki Gelana: Won gold in the women's marathon in London

Ethiopia's Tiki Gelana won gold in the women's marathon on the streets of London on Sunday, denying the powerful Kenyans their first Olympic crown in a Games record time of 2hr 23min 7sec.

Priscah Jeptoo, part of a Kenyan contingent eyeing a medals sweep after last year's one-two-three at the World Championships, took silver, five seconds behind Gelana.

Russia's Tatyana Petrova Arkhipova collected the bronze in 2:23:29.

However, there was disappointment for Britain, with Mara Yamauchi's Olympic marathon lasting less than 10 kilometres on the rainy streets of London .

Injury

A week after Paula Radcliffe withdrew from London 2012 with a foot problem, an injured Yamauchi stopped in tears on the side of the road around 9.4km into the race as she decided she could go no further.

The 38-year-old Oxford athlete had been hampered by a bruised heel in the build-up to the Games and, although determined to get to the startline, was clearly not fit.

She finished sixth in the Beijing Olympic marathon but has since been plagued by injury, and could not live with even the steady early pace of the large leading pack.

She said: "I was more than confident I could give it a good go and I started off but on about the second corner it (my heel) started hurting.

"I did my best - it's not the best situation to be in, dropping out of the Olympic marathon at a home Games - but I gave it my very best and I didn't want my Olympic journey to end like this."

Scotland's Freya Murray, who had only been called up to the team a week ago following Radcliffe's withdrawal, was the first Briton home in 44th place, clocking 2hrs 32.14mins.

Her team-mate Claire Hallissey finished 57th in 2:35.39.

Pace

Gelana, who ran the second fastest time of 2012 in this year's Rotterdam marathon, took charge of the race in the closing stages and 2011 world silver medallist Jeptoo did not have the strength to match her.

Mary Keitany, who has won the past two London marathons, was long part of the leading pack however slipped off the pace shortly before the 41-kilometre mark as the rain returned to drench the flag-waving crowds lining the course.

The big names were content to bide their time in the early stages of the race, which started in persistent rain on The Mall.

Italy's Valeria Straneo and China's Zhu Xiaolin led a large group of runners at the halfway point, timing 1hr 13min 13sec and soon afterwards Russia's Liliya Shobukhova, a three-time Chicago marathon winner, dropped out.

By the 25km mark, a group of six runners had edged ahead with the three Kenyans and three Ethiopians -- Mare Dibaba, Tiki Gelana and Aselefech Mergia -- four seconds clear of the field.

Shoot-out

Mergia soon dropped out of the reckoning and as the sun appeared, the race looked set up for a straight shoot-out between the Kenyans and Ethiopians.

But Russia's Petrova Arkhipova closed the gap on the leading pack and was in the lead at the 35km mark in front of Keitany, Jeptoo and Gelana, with reigning world champion Kiplagat dropping off the pace.

The same four were bunched together at the 40km mark but Kitany, who won the 2011 and 2012 London marathons, soon fell away, finishing fourth, a full 49 seconds behind the winner.

Kiplagat finished a disappointing 20th.

The course started and finished on The Mall with one short loop followed by three longer circuits, showcasing many of London's most famous landmarks.