Ethiopian runner Shura Kitata has won a thrilling London Marathon as Kenyan world-record holder Eliud Kipchoge faded late in the race to suffer his first defeat since 2013.
In Sunday’s cold, wet conditions, 24-year-old Kitata edged clear in a last-minute sprint to win by one second over Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba in a relatively slow two hours, five minutes and 41 seconds.
Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia was third while Kipchoge finished eighth, never able to impose his usual speed in the relentless cold rain.
Earlier in the women’s race, Kenyan world record holder Brigid Kosgei was a comfortable winner in 2:18.58 as Sara Hall of the United States produced a great finish to snatch second from Ruth Chepngetich.
The races, originally scheduled to be run in April, was adapted to 19.7 laps of St James’s Park rather than the traitional street route, and was restricted to elite runners only, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
SOURCE : REUTERS
