LONDON (Reuters) -Reigning Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir crushed the women’s-only world record in winning the 44th London Marathon on Sunday, while Kenyan compatriot Alexander Mutiso Munyao raced to victory in the men’s race.
The 30-year-old Jepchirchir pulled away over the final 300 metres in a sprint finish, crossing the finish line in front of Buckingham Palace in two hours 16 minutes 16 seconds to break Mary Keitany’s mark of 2:17:01 set in a women-only race at the 2017 London event.
Munyao, 27, pumped his fist several times en route to the biggest victory of his career, pulling away from distance running great Kenenisa Bekele to cross in 2:04.01.
Ethiopia’s 41-year-old Bekele — who has raced to three Olympic titles on the track and a remarkable 17 world titles in outdoor and indoor track and cross-country — was second in 2:04.15, while Britain’s Emile Cairess took third in 2:06.46.
Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia, who clocked 2:11.53 at the Berlin Marathon in September to set a world record for women in a race alongside male runners, crossed second in the women’s race in 2:16.23.
Joyciline Jepkosgei of Kenya, the 2021 London winner, was third in 2:16.24.
Marcel Hug won the men’s wheelchair race, while Swiss team mate Catherine Debrunner won the women’s event.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; editing by Clare Fallon)
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