London Marathon 2024: Peres Jepchirchir wins London Marathon women’s elite race and breaks women’s-only world record

CNN
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It was billed as a race that will be more durable to win than the Olympic marathon gold in Paris and the London Marathon’s elite girls’s race didn’t disappoint as reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir gained a massively aggressive race and set a brand new girls’s-only world report.

Jepchirchir, considered one of many best feminine distance runners of all time, raised her arms in jubilation as she crossed the tape in two hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds.

The Kenyan broke the ladies’s-only report – the quickest marathon time by a feminine runner with out male tempo makers – set by Mary Keitany in 2017 by 45 seconds.

The sphere had a clutch of runners who had been able to breaking the report however it was Jepchirchir who made historical past, ending forward of Ethiopia’s world report holder Tigst Assefa in a dash end. Former winner Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya was third.

“I’m so glad for at present’s victory. I used to be not anticipating to run a world report. I knew it will be run, however I used to be not anticipating it to be me,” Jepchirchir informed BBC Sport, including that she “labored further laborious” as a result of the opposite race favorites had faster private bests.

“I’m so glad, I’m feeling grateful. I’m glad too to be in Paris for the Olympic marathon. My prayer is to be there, and my prayer is to run good and defend my title.”

The lads’s elite race was gained by Jepchirchir’s compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao in 2:04.01. He beat the good Kenenisa Bekele, 41, to second, whereas house favourite Emile Cairess was third, turning into the second-fastest British man of all time over the gap together with his time of two:06.46.

Earlier than the race a tribute was paid to world report holder and 2023 winner Kelvin Kiptum, who died in a visitors accident close to his house in Kenya earlier this yr.

After the race, Munyao informed BBC Sport: “I take into consideration him and let him relaxation in peace.”

The 27-year-old added that he had lots of confidence through the race regardless of strain from Bekele across the 25-mile mark.

“After 40km I believed I had sufficient vitality to win,” he added. “That’s why I kicked and once I noticed a spot I knew I might win.”

Swiss nice Marcel Hug gained the lads’s wheelchair race for the fourth consecutive time, with compatriot Catherine Debrunner comfortably successful the ladies’s wheelchair race.

This story has been up to date with further info.