Kelvin Kiptum breaks record for fastest ever London Marathon
Runner Kelvin Kiptum has won this year’s London Marathon and set a new world record for the race.
The 23-year-old Kenyan broke the course record with an incredible time of 2:01.27.
His impressive time was just 18-seconds behind Eliud Kipchoge’s world record marathon time.
NEW COURSE RECORD! 🤯
— TCS London Marathon (@LondonMarathon) April 23, 2023
What a moment. Kelvin Kiptum wins the 2023 TCS London Marathon and it's the second quickest time in history! #LondonMarathon #WeRunTogether pic.twitter.com/vw6UqgrmFH
Speaking on BBC, retired track and field athlete Steve Cram praised the win, saying: "It is still an incredible performance and one of the greatest we have seen on this course, the fastest we have seen on this course.
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"We have never seen anything like this before on the streets of London and Kelvin Kiptum has put in the performance of his life. He blew the field apart."
Fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor crossed the line in second, while the first Brit to cross the finish line wasn’t Mo Farah - who came in ninth with a time of 2:10.27 - but Emile Cairess, from Yorkshire who finished in sixth place.
Brit Philip Sesemann out-sprinted Farah right at the end, bagging himself the eighth place.
Sir Mo has previously said this will be his last ever marathon.
Commenting on his race, former long-distance runner Paula Radcliffe told the BBC: "It doesn't get any easier, does it? There is no stopping Father Time and no matter how much you have done in the past, you have to pass the baton to the next generation and we have seen that today from Mo to Emile Cairess and Phil Sessemann.
"They would have loved watching Mo all of these years and he has inspired so many. He can now ease his way in to retirement and he has certainly deserved it."
Meanwhile, over to the women's elites, and Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Sifan Hassan secured first place, on her marathon debut no less - with a time of 2:18.33.
You needn't have worried, @SifanHassan 🎉#LondonMarathon #WeRunTogether pic.twitter.com/7h9yqhBcZy
— TCS London Marathon (@LondonMarathon) April 23, 2023
Her win was all the more surprising because she was seen falling off pace and clutching her hip, around the 15-mile mark.
But Hassan, who is the 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic champion, reeled in the leaders with three miles to go.
Former Olympic middle-distance runner Steve Cram was gobsmacked at Hassan’s triumph.
“Sifan Hassan has done something that nobody could ever have expected,” he said on BBC One.
“She was struggling, she was grabbing her hip, stopping to stretch it off.
“She would have been dreaming of just finishing. She can hardly believe it, this might just be the best success of her life.”
Speaking after her win, Hassan said: "London has been in my dreams. I am so grateful to be here. I will never forget this race."
Claire Reid