Lel wins London Marathon in record time

Martin Lel's dynamic sprint finish saw the Kenyan win his third London Marathon title in four years here Sunday in a new course record time of 2 hours 5 minutes and 15 seconds.

Lel, who at 20 miles was threatening Haile Gebrselassie's world record before slowing as rain lashed the course, found a fresh burst of speed in the final 400 metres as he broke away from 21-year-old compatriot Sammy Wanjiru, who came home in a time of 2:05:24.

Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri, last year's runner-up, was third in 2:05:30.

All three men broke Khalid Khannouchi's previous London course record of 2:05:38, which was also a world record when the American won in 2002.

Ethiopia distance great Gebrselassie set his world record time of 2:04:26 in Berlin in September.

In the city where the marathon distance of 26 miles 385 yards was established at the 1908 Olympics, Lel, last year's winner, joined Mexico's Dionicio Ceron and Antonio Pinto of Portugal as a triple London champion.

"To win this race you have to work extra hard," said Lel, who won his first London Marathon in 2005 and was the runner-up a year later.

"There were lots of runners in the field who could come first. So the chance of winning two in a row is very long.

"This is one of the best races I have done. Now I want to come back next year and make it three in a row."

Meanwhile Wanjiru, who in only his second full marathon, shaved 75 seconds off his best, made it clear any disappointment he may have felt in finishing second was offset by posting a time which qualified him for this August's Olympic Games in Beijing.

"I've got 2:05 so now I can go the Olympics," he said.

Immediately after the race, Kenyan athletics officials said Lel and Wanjiru would most likely be in their Olympic marathon team.

Athletics Kenya secretary David Okeyo, who was in London to witness the 28th running of the British city marathon said he was impressed with the performance of the two athletes.

"We are going to name the Olympic team after the London and Rotterdam marathons this weekend and in Boston next week so that the selected athletes don't have to run any other races before Beijing," Okeyo told AFP on phone.

If named in the three-man squad, Lel, 28 and the Wanjiru, the world half-marathon record holder will be representing Kenya at an international championships for the first time.

In the women's event Irina Mikitenko was the surprise winner in only her second race at the distance.

Mikitenko, born in Kazakhstan, but now representing Germany, went clear in front two miles from the finish and won in a time of 2:24:14, lowering her personal best by 37 seconds.

"I was in such good shape I knew I could do it," said the 35-year-old, who led for much of the race. "I am so happy to win my first marathon and I know I have much more to show at this distance."

Russia's Svetlana Zakharova, who had been keeping pace with Mikitenko, could not respond to her rival's burst and she finished second in 2:24:39.

Gete Wami, the pre-race favourite after Britain's Paula Radcliffe withdrew because of a toe injury, was third in 2:25:37.

But that the Ethiopian finished at all was impressive after she fell heavily at a drink station around the 18-mile mark.

World Marathon Majors champion Wami, who beat Mikitenko in Berlin in September, said: "I have never fallen before. I am disappointed but pleased that I recovered to finish third."