Kenyan marathon runner, Brigid Jepchirchir Kosgei, on Sunday, won the 40th London Marathon in two hours, 18.58 minutes.
The Kenyan world record holder and defending champion was running her first marathon since setting the world record of 2:14.04 in Chicago a year ago.
Kosgei, who won the 2018 and 2019 Chicago Marathons and the 2019 London Marathon, ran alongside compatriot Ruth Chepngetich until around the 20-mile mark, when she forged clear to open a lead of about 50 metres within a couple of minutes.
She then ran strongly for the rest of the race to finish around three minutes clear.
American Sara Hall produced an incredible finish, wiping out a huge deficit over the last few hundred metres to sweep past world champion Chepngetich almost on the line to finish in 2:22.01 to the Kenyan’s 2:22.05.
Wrapped in a huge coat at the finish area, the tiny Kosgei said it had been a tough day.
“It was wonderful to race but we haven’t been able to prepare well because of COVID, and because of the weather today it was a struggle up to the moment I finished,” she said.
The race, originally postponed from April because of the COVID-19 pandemic, was run over 19.8 laps of a fenced-off course in a “controlled secure biosphere” around St James’s Park, with the finish line in its traditional place on The Mall.
Hall’s remarkable sprint finish meant she bettered her personal best by 15 seconds and meant she had $15,000 dollars to donate to the Ethiopian children’s charity she is supporting with all her prize money.
Kosgei won $30,000.