Kipchoge crowned London Marathon 2019 king with fourth win and new course record

Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge today became the first man ever to win four London Marathon titles.

The 34-year-old gradually broke the competition to pull away from Ethiopia’s Mosinet Geremew in the final two miles of the race.

Kipchoge was all smiles as he cruised towards the Finish Line on The Mall to set a new London Marathon course record of 2:02:37 – almost 30 seconds faster than the course record that he set at the race in 2016 – and the second fastest time ever behind his own world record of 2:01:39, set at the Berlin Marathon in 2018.

After previous victories in 2015, 2016 and 2018, Kipchoge’s late surge thrilled the London crowds as he defended his undefeated London Marathon record in style to take an eleventh career win over 26.2 miles.

Runner-up Geremew’s time of 2:02:55 gives him the third fastest marathon of all time, while his Ethiopian countryman Mule Wasihun finished third in 2:03:16. Great Britain’s Sir Mo Farah finished fifth in 2:05:39.

In the women’s race, Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei won her first London Marathon to make it a double victory for Kenya.

The 25-year-old pulled away from 2018 champion Vivian Cheruiyot with around four miles to go to take the win in 2:18:20. Cheruiyot hung on to finish second in 2:20:14, with Ethiopia’s Roza Dereje third in 2:20:51.

After winning the wheelchair race in 2017 and 2018, Great Britain’s David Weir had to settle for fifth place on his 20th consecutive appearance at the London Marathon. He was well-beaten by the 20-year-old American Daniel Romanchuk, who took his first London win in 1:33:37, to add to his victory at the Boston Marathon less than a fortnight ago.

Romanchuk also won the inaugural Flying 400 – a new point-to-point bonus of $10,000 offered by the Abbott World Marathon Majors organisers for the fastest athlete to complete a 400m ‘time trial’ section of the course just after 20km.

In the women’s wheelchair race, Switzerland’s Manuael Schar won in 1:44:09, more than five minutes ahead of the USA’s Tatyana McFadden. Schar also took the honours in the women’s Flying 400. Schar’s win here today means she is the first woman to win all of the Abbott World Marathon Majors races in a single cycle.

There were two new world records at the World Para Athletics Marathon Championships. In the T46 race for arm amputees, Australia’s Michael Roeger finished in 2:22:51 to lower the world record by more than three minutes, while Morocco’s T12 world-record holder El Amin Chentouf beat his own world record by 10 seconds to set a new mark of 2:21:23.

In the British race to qualify for the World Championships in Doha this summer, Charlotte Purdue knocked more than four minutes off her previous best to finish ninth in 2:25:38, while Callum Hawkins also finished in the top 10 thanks to his time of 2:08:14.

Behind the elite runners, the masses were set on their way by Sir Andy Murray, while his former coach Amelie Mauresmo started the elite women’s race and World Para Athletics Marathon Championships, before joining the masses to run her first London Marathon.

More than 42,000 runners set off from Blackheath to take on the 39th edition of the London Marathon, which is expected to be the biggest ever, as runners and supporters everywhere say #ThanksaBillion. The theme for the 2019 race celebrates an extraordinary landmark, as the amount of money raised for charity since the first race in 1981 breaks £1,000,000,000.

The public ballot online entry system for the 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon is now open to all applicants. Applicants from the UK should enter at ballot.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com. International applicants (from outside the UK) should enter the international ballot www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/international-ballot. This is the first time that the ballot system has opened on Race Day.

The ballot will remain open for six days to give everyone who would like to enter the event a fair chance to do. It will close at 17:00 on Friday 3 May.

The 2020 Virgin Money London Marathon will take place on Sunday 26 April 2020. All those who enter the ballot will find out whether or not they have been successful by the end of October.

Source: Virgin Money London Marathon