FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2023 TCS London Marathon
Kiptum smashes course record and Hassan stuns on debut
Men's wheelchair race
First to finish the 2023 TCS London Marathon today was Switzerland's Marcel
Hug, who smashed the course record he set here in 2022, finishing in a time
of 1:23:44, as he defended his title in imperious style to take his fifth
London Marathon win – and his third London victory in a row.
After leading for most of the race, Hug crossed the Finish Line five
minutes clear of runner-up Jetze Plat of the Netherlands, who finished in
1:28:44, with Tomoki Suzuki of Japan third in 1:30:00.
Great Britain's David Weir finished in fifth place in 1:32:45 on his 24th
consecutive appearance at the event.
Women's wheelchair race
In the women's wheelchair event, just six seconds separated the first four
women, as Madison de Rozario (AUS) held off Switzerland's Manuela Schär in
a sprint finish to take her second London win on the line in 1:38:51.
Runner-up Schär clocked 1:38:53, ahead of last year's winner Catherine
Debrunner (SUI), who crossed the line in third in 1:38:54, with Susannah
Scaroni (USA) fourth in 1:38:57.
Elite women's race
In the elite women's event, Sifan Hassan (NED) stunned the best women's
field ever assembled by sprinting down The Mall to win on her marathon
debut. After a shaky start, when she stopped to stretch a couple of times
and dropped behind the lead group, the Dutch track legend finished in
2:18:33, just three seconds ahead of Kenya's Alemu Megertu, who recorded
2:18:37, with Peres Jepchirchir (KEN) third in 2:18:38.
Kenya's Sheila Chepkirui was fourth in 2:18:51, with defending champion
Yalemzerf Yehualaw (ETH) fifth in 2:18:53.
Elite men's race
The elite men's race also produced a stunning finish when Kenya's Kelvin
Kiptum kicked on alone for the final miles to smash Kipchoge's 2019 course
record, setting a new best time of 2:01:25 and missing out on the world
record by just 18 seconds.
Geoffrey Kamworor made it a Kenyan one-two as he crossed the line second in
2:04:23, with Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola third in 2:04:59.
Kiptum becomes the second fastest man ever over the marathon distance
behind Eliud Kipchoge and will be celebrating a dream start to his
26.2-mile career after making the fastest debut ever last December, when he
won the Valencia Marathon in 2:01:53.
Great Britain's Emile Cairess was the first British man to cross the line
on his debut at the distance, finishing sixth in 2:08:07, with Phil Seseman
eighth in 2:10:23 and Sir Mo Farah ninth in 2:10:28 on his final London
Marathon appearance.
More than 48,000 are expected to finish the TCS London Marathon today,
while around the world thousands of people are taking part in the virtual
event, covering their 26.2 miles on a course of their choice any time
between 00:00 and 23:59 today.
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