The Ethiopian Sisay Lemma and the Kenyan Joyciline Jepkosgei were proclaimed winners in the men’s and women’s categories, respectively, in the return to “normality” of the London marathon, which brought more than 40,000 runners to the streets of the British capital.
With weather conditions ideal for long-distance running – around 12 degrees, sun and moderate wind – Lemma obtained the sixth best time in the history of this competition, while Jepkosgei ran the seventh fastest marathon of a woman in the history.
Lemma, 30, took the victory with a time of 2h: 04: 01, ahead of the Kenyan Vincent Kipchuma, 27 seconds, and the Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew, 40 seconds.
Lemma, who finished third in this same event last year, launched a hard attack a few kilometers from the end with which he was able to get rid of the leading group consisting of five athletes who led the initiative throughout the race.
The Ethiopian benefited from the absence of the dominator of the discipline, Eliud Kipchoge, distance record holder and four times winner of the test, who was the great absentee in this year’s edition.
Kipchoge decided not to be in London as a break after winning Olympic gold in Sapporo, so he could not add a fifth wound to his record or improve his record of 2h: 02: 37, the event’s record.
In his absence, the spotlight was taken by the Ethiopian Shura Kitata, winner last year, although it was already known that he was not at his best due to a muscle injury that forced him to retire in the middle of the race at the Games Olympics
Although it was possible to see him diminished, Kitata gave everything in the race, but that only served him to finish in sixth place, with 2h: 07.51. Nor did his compatriot, Birhanu Legese, fare much better, who was left off the podium despite landing in London with the intention of “breaking the record” for the race.
Up to sixth place, all the athletes were Ethiopians and Kenyans, as has been the case for years in this discipline. And from seventh to tenth places it was the British who took the standings, with special mention for Phil Sesemann, the first of the “land” in his debut in a marathon.
In the women’s event, the great favorite was not able to revalidate her triumph last year either. Kenyan Brigid Kosgei, who holds the world record, could only be fourth in a fast race that fell to the side of her compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei, who did a time of 2:17:42, followed by Ethiopians Degitu Azimeraw and Ashete Bekere .
In this way, Kosgei could not emulate the German Katrin Dörre-Heinig as the only athlete capable of winning a third consecutive title, something that she achieved between 1992 and 1994.
The atmosphere in the streets of London, on a fresh and radiant day, was at times reminiscent of the prepandemic days, although the number of fans in the streets did not reach the same levels as previous editions.
The organization had asked the runners to invite only one person to cheer them in person, to reduce the number of spectators.
Other precautionary measures were asking the participants to bring their own bottles with liquids to refresh themselves or the requirement to present a negative result in an antigen test prior to the race.
– .
