Olympic champion in training Peres Jepchirchir broke the world record for women exclusively by winning the 44th London Marathon on Sunday, while fellow Kenyan Alexander Mutiso Munyao won the men’s event.
Breaking Mary Keitany’s record of 2:17:01 set in a women-only race in the 2017 London event, the 30-year-old Jepchirchir pushed 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.
The 27-year-old Munyao repeatedly pumped his fist as he overcame distance running legend Kenenisa Bekele to finish in 2:04.01, the greatest victory of his career.
Bekele, 41, of Ethiopia, who has competed in track and field events to win three Olympic medals and an astounding 17 world titles in cross-country and outdoor events, finished second in 2:04.15, behind Britain’s Emile Cairess, who finished third in 2:06.46.