Press Release - London Marathon - 4/16/18

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

                     Simbu withdraws with hamstring injury

16/04/2018

Alphonce Simbu has withdrawn from the Virgin Money London Marathon on 
Sunday 22 April with a hamstring injury.

Simbu ran a personal best of 2 hours 9 minutes 10 seconds to finish fifth 
in last year's elite men's race behind Kenyan winner Daniel Wanjiru and 
went on to clinch a World Championship bronze medal for Tanzania in London 
last August.

Nine months earlier he came close to ending a 36-year Olympic medal drought 
for his country when he was fifth in the marathon at the Rio Games and he 
was made the flag bearer for Tanzania at the Closing Ceremony.

The 26-year-old had hopes of making the podium in Sunday's race when he was 
due to take on Wanjiru again but has been forced to pull out with a 
hamstring injury to his right leg.

Simbu was one of 14 men in this year's line-up who have run the 26.2-mile 
distance quicker than 2:10 and he leaves a formidable field containing four 
men who have run sub-2:04 and eight who have finished under 2:06.

Wanjiru will defend his title against three of the greatest distance 
runners of their generation – Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge, who's going 
for his third London Marathon victory, Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele, seeking 
a first London win after placing third and second in the last two years, 
and Britain's Sir Mo Farah, kicking off his marathon career after winning 
multiple world and Olympic titles on the track.

The latest Elite Men's start list can be found in the Media Resources 
section of the website.

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