(London) Kenyan runner Kelvin Kiptum won the London Marathon on Sunday with the second fastest time in history at 2 hours, 1 minute and 25 seconds, 16 seconds behind Eliud Kipchoge’s world record.

Kiptum, who was only running the second marathon of his career in London, had already become the third best performer in the world in his first race, in Valencia in December.

The Kenyan cross-country skier, 23, accelerated after 1.5 hours of racing and finished far ahead of his compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor and the Ethiopian Tamirat Tola, world champion in the discipline.

Even further ahead of two athletics legends, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele, now third in the world for the distance, who was returning to London after a long absence due to injury. And Mo Farah, the most successful British runner who was competing there in his last marathon.

Another sensation among women where the Dutch Sifan Hassan, gold medalist in the 5000m and 10,000m at the Tokyo Games in 2021, won the race, for her very first participation in the distance.

“It was just unbelievable,” Hassan said, as the BBC’s race on the mic arrived. “I never thought I would finish the marathon and not only did I finish it, I won it. »

While she seemed to have suffered from cramps after an hour of racing, she gradually caught up with the leading group to win in the end in 2 hours 18 minutes and 33 seconds ahead of Ethiopian Alemu Megertu and the Olympic champion Kenyan Peres Jepchirchir.

Hassan has lined up for the London Marathon with a view to possibly contesting the event at the Paris Olympics next year.