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2021 race round-up:
Find out who won the elite races in the 2021 Virgin Money London Marathon
The elite races at the Virgin Money London Marathon started with a Swiss
double in the elite wheelchair events. They were followed by a new women's
champion.
Hug was first across the world-famous London Marathon Finish Line on The
Mall, setting a new course record time of 1:26:27, as the event returned to
the streets of the capital after a hiatus of 889 days.
The Swiss athlete, nicknamed the 'silver bullet' thanks to his distinctive
metallic helmet, took an emphatic third London win to follow-up his victory
at the Berlin Marathon last weekend.
Daniel Romanchuk of the USA was runner-up in 1:29:27, with Great Britain's
David Weir in third place, outsprinting 2020 champion Brent Lakatos to take
the third place on the podium.
In the women's wheelchair event, Switzerland's Manuela Schär also took a
third London win as she dominated from the start. Pushing more than two
minutes clear by 20K, Schär set a new course record of 1:39:52, breaking
her own mark set in 2017 by five seconds. Five minutes behind, 17-year-old
Merle Menje finished in 1:44:51 on her debut to take the runner-up spot,
with the USA's Tatyana McFadden placing third in the same time.
In the Abbott World Marathon Majors Flying 400 event, a race within the
wheelchair race that was introduced in 2019, Romanchuk took the $6,500
prize as the fastest man to sprint 400m just after the 20K mark near Tower
Bridge, covering the distance in just 42 seconds. Schär took the top prize
in the women's event, sprinting the 400m stretch in 51 seconds.
Kenyan world record holder Brigid Kosgei wasn't able to make it three in a
row at this year's event, after her compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei won in
2:17.43 - smashing her previous PB of 2:18:40.
It promised to be a tight race, with a phenomenal field featuring eight
women who have run inside 2:20, and that's certainly what materialised -
with the top three finishers all coming in within 2:19.
Jepkosgei, the reigning TCS New York City
Marathon champion, put in a decisive surge
at 35K to distance herself from the leading
pack of five and was followed over the Finish
Line by two Ethiopians, who also put in
personal-best performances: Degitu Azimeraw
in 2:17:58 and Ashete Bekere in 2:18:18.
Kosgei, who said before the race that she was still feeling the effects of
running for silver in the Tokyo Olympics just eight weeks ago, was fourth
in 2:18:14.
Charlotte Purdue was first British woman across the line in 10th place,
looking strong throughout the race as she set a massive personal best of
2:23:26, taking more than two minutes off her previous best time.
In the men's race, the defending champion Shura Kitata fell off the pace
before the 10K mark, leaving the leading men to push on to the halfway
point in 61:25, inside 2:03 pace and still on to challenge Kipchoge's 2019
course record of 2:02:37.
But the pace slipped off course-record time in the second half, inviting a
break in the closing kilometres, an opportunity seized by Ethiopia's Sisay
Lemma, who surged ahead to win the men's race in 2:04:01, in the
third-fastest time in the world this year, after his third place in 2020.
Kenya's Vincent Kipchuma finished 27 seconds behind in 2:04:28, taking the
runner-up slot again after placing second in the 2020 event. He was
followed across the Finish Line by Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia in 2:04:41.
The fastest British man was Philip Sesemann, who missed out on the 2:11:30
World Championships qualifying time, but set a time of 2:12:53 to take
seventh place, edging out Joshua Griffiths, who finished eighth in 2:13:39.
Ahead of the elites, the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon
participants were first under the famous Finish Line on The Mall. The event
has launched the careers of many top athletes, including Mo Farah, David
Weir and Alex Yee, the Tokyo Olympic gold medallist who set the runners on
their way this morning as the official race starter.
With up to 40,000 people taking on the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon
wherever they are in the world, and more than 36,000 running on the streets
of the capital, this year's Virgin Money London Marathon looks set to be
the biggest marathon ever held as We Run Together again.
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