Sixteen seconds away, Eliud Kipchoge’s record, set in September 2022 during the Berlin Marathon, would not have lasted a year. Sunday, April 23, Kelvin Kiptum signed the second best performance in the history of a marathon. The Kenyan – like Kipchoge – won the London Marathon in 2h 01m 25s, in drizzle and gray weather, and is advancing as the new phenomenon of the discipline. Aged only 23, the man who had become the third best performer in history (2 h 01 m 53 s) in his first marathon, in Valencia in December, threatens the record of his compatriot, best marathon runner in history.
Author of a second half of the race in cannon fire (59 m 47 s), Kelvin Kiptum could become the first runner to pass the mythical bar of the two hours of racing, on which Kipchoge has always stopped until then (his world record is 2 h 01 m 09 s). On time to win the race in two hours and three minutes, the young Kenyan accelerated after an hour and a half of racing, distancing his competitors, before finishing the race with a sprint on the Mall of London – the driveway leading to Buckingham Palace – then to collapse after crossing the line. “I’m obviously really happy with the result,” blew the runner, interviewed by the BBC. I don’t know what to say, I’m so grateful. »
If he appeared as a favorite, Kelvin Kiptum did not think he was getting so close to the best time in history. “My mission in London is to win, not to focus on a world record,” the Kenyan runner warned Thursday at a press conference. The young athlete had also displayed his ambitions for the marathon of the world athletics championship in August in Budapest.
Sifan Hassan winner for her first marathon
Among the ladies, the London Marathon was also of very high quality. Olympic champion in the 5,000m and 10,000m in Tokyo in 2021 – historic spoils accompanied by a bronze medal in the 1,500m –, Sifan Hassan won on Sunday, making an impression. Coming to test herself on the distance with a view to the Paris Olympics next year, the Dutchwoman had never previously run a marathon.
At 30, this legend of track athletics was more of a curiosity than a real favorite against much more experienced runners, such as Kenyan Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir or his compatriot world record holder, Brigid Kosgei . But after the abandonment of the latter in the first minutes, the race opened.
“I never thought I would finish it and I not only finished but I won it,” Sifan Hassan savored on the BBC a few minutes after his arrival. After appearing to falter after an hour of racing, the Dutchwoman closed in on the lead. In the fight in the last kilometer, this track specialist deployed her top speed in a sprint, winning in 2h 18m 33s.
“Everyone told me that the marathon hurt, but I felt really good, even after 5 km or 15 km. When I saw the finish line, I said to myself ‘it’s already there’”, concluded the Dutch athlete.
