European Athletics – (EAA) – News – Farah learns a lesson in London as Lamdassem makes the top 10

At 10am in London on Sunday, silence fell as 36,000 runners stood as one.

Six days after the horror of Boston, where three people died and almost 200 were injured by the two explosions at the end of their marathon, the organisers in Britain made a fitting tribute.

Thirty seconds of silence, perfectly respected, preceded the start of one of the biggest marathons of the year.

And while it was a race which once more demonstrated the power and brilliance of the African stars – as Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede won the men's race and Kenyan Priscah Jeptoo won the women's – a triple European champion was as much at the centre of attention.

At just before halfway, Mo Farah dropped out.

It was not dramatic and it was not unexpected. His plan was always to run just the first half as preparation for 12 months' time when he makes his full marathon debut on this same course.

The aim was to discover what it is like to be in among the marathon elite and his decision worked a treat – because at the 10k drink station it all went slightly wrong.

Farah was roared on by the huge crowds having become one of the biggest names in the sport in Britain after his amazing 2012 which ended with him being named the European Male Athlete of Year.

After retaining his 5000m crown at the European Athletics Championships in Helsinki, then he landed a stunning double to win the 5000m and 10,000m at the Olympic Games in London.

But now it is about the future, which could be as a full-time marathoner.

Yet the event differs so much from the track and one of those nuances is the scooping of your bottle with your name on it from the table at the right moment.

Farah said: "The biggest challenge is picking up the drinks and at 10k I made a mess of it. I have learned the biggest lesson of my life.

"If I had made a mess of it next year it would have been hard to deal with.

"My aim was to learn – and I did. I'll probably watch back this race and see how much of a mess I made of the drinks.

"I am going to concentrate on the full marathon next year but this year I will concentrate on the track. It was incredible out there with the amount of support."

Spain's Ayad Lamdassem produced an outstanding run to finish 10th as the first European home in 2:09:28 as Kebede won in 2:06:04 with Kenya's Emmanuel Mutai second in 2:06:33 and Ethiopian Ayele Abshero third in 2:06:57.

Lamdassem's run is the second quickest by a European this year – only Frenchman Abraham Kiprotich has run faster with 2:08:33 – and the display will put him in good stead for the 2014 European Athletics Championships in Zurich where he could opt for that distance.

Jeptoo won the women's race in 2:20:15 from her fellow Kenyan Edna Kiplagat in 2:21:32 with Japan's Yukiko Akaba third in 2:24:43.

Russian Alevtina Biktimorva was the first European woman home in eighth place in 2:30:02 with Britain's Susan Partridge next in 2:30:46, both inside the qualifying time of 2:31 for this summer's World Championships in Moscow.

 

 European Athletics – (EAA) – News