Wanjiru sets record

Olympic champion Sammy Wanjiru, of Kenya, set a course record of 2:05:10 in the London marathon yesterday after breaking away from the lead group 29 km into the 42.195-km race.

Wanjiru, second last year behind compatriot and former course record holder Martin Lel, who withdrew on Saturday because of a hip strain, was prominent in the leading group which set a scorching pace through the first half.

The top group flew through the halfway stage in 61 minutes 35 seconds, the fastest ever split in a marathon.

But, inevitably, the pace slowed markedly, allowing time for Wanjiru to gather his strength and take the lead in a front trio which included the other two Beijing medallists Jaouad Gharib, of Morocco, and Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede.

Wanjiru held on to win ahead of Kebede, who clocked 2:05:20. Twice world champion Gharib was third in 2:05:27.

German Irina Mikitenko retained the London women's marathon title after striding to victory in 2:22:11.

Mikitenko ran shoulder-to-shoulder with Briton Mara Yamauchi but stepped up the tempo through Canary Wharf and moved steadily ahead to record her third win in only four marathons after a long track career. Yamauchi was second in 2:23:12 and Russian Liliya Shobukhova third in 2:24:24.

Yamauchi, sixth in last year's Olympics, compensated the large crowd for the absence of world record holder Paula Radcliffe who pulled out of the race because of a broken toe.