THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Wilson Kipsang won the London Marathon for the second time on April 13, 2014, producing a course record. He managed to hold off a strong field despite arriving late in the British capital after his passport was stolen.
The 32-year-old Kenyan completed the 42.2-kilometer route in two hours, four minutes, 29 seconds — 11 seconds inside the previous fastest run in London by Kenyan Emmanuel Mutai in 2011.
“I was really feeling good, and I controlled the guys,” said Kipsang, who also won in 2012.
Kenyan compatriot Stanley Biwott was 26 seconds adrift in second, and deposed London champion Tsegaye Kebede was just over two minutes behind Kipsang in third, but it was a disappointing full marathon debut for Mo Farah.
In a city bathed in sunshine, Londoners came out to cheer the home favorite only to see him finish eighth, almost four minutes behind Kipsang. But despite failing to match his track feats in the city in 2012, when he won the 5,000- and 10,000-meter titles at the Olympics, Farah will return for another shot at the marathon.
“I’m not going to finish it like this,” Farah said. “I’ll be back. It’s a matter of experience and learning.”
Before Kipsang’s dominating performance, there was a sprint finish in the women’s race in front of Buckingham Palace, and two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat of Kenya won on her fourth attempt.
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