Lel Leads Stacked Elite Field for 2008 London Marathon
Posted December 12th, 2007 at 10:15 AM by David Monti
Section: News & Results, Marathons
Martin Lel, the only man to ever win the Flora London and ING New York City Marathons in the same year, headlines London’s field for next April, race director Dave Bedford announced today.
The 29 year-old Lel, who won both the London and New York races in sprint finishes over Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri, also won London in 2005. He has a personal best time of 2:06:41.
“I am very pleased to be able to defend my title.,” Lel commented through a media release. “I am training hard to make sure I am in top shape for my bid to win a third time. I know it will be tough, but I love running in London and am confident I can win again.”
With 50 points, Lel is at the top of the World Marathon Majors leader board for the 2007/2008 season. The 2007/2008 season concludes after the 2008 ING New York City Marathon next November and, because it is an Olympic year, the series also includes the Olympic Games marathon in Bejing. Sources have told RRW that Lel is likely to get a birth on the Kenyan Olympic team.
Winning London again is by no means a certainty for Lel. He’ll be facing Goumri again (2:07:44 PB), along with 2004 ING New York City Marathon champion, Hendrick Ramaala (2:06:55); former world record holder, Paul Tergat (2:04:55); and reigning world champion, Luke Kibet (2:08:52). The 2006 London champion Felix Limo (2:06:39), two-time world champion Jaouad Gharib (2:07:02), and reigning Olympic champion Stefano Baldini (2:07:22) are also entered.
“I believe this is one of the best fields we’ve ever assembled,” said Bedford. “I am delighted to welcome Martin back to London. He has a fantastic record here and will be extremely hard to beat.”
The complete men’s field is as follows (listed by career best time):
Paul Tergat (KEN) 2:04:55
Felix Limo (KEN) 2:06:14
Emmanuel Mutai (KEN) 2:06:29
Martin Lel (KEN) 2:06:41
Hendrick Ramaala (RSA) 2:06:55
Jaouad Gharib (MAR) 2:07:02
Stefano Baldini (ITA) 2:07:22
Yonas Kifle (ERI) 2:07:34
Abderrahim Goumri (MAR) 2:07:44
Luke Kibet (KEN) 2:08:52
Aleksey Sokolov (RUS) 2:09:07
Meb Keflezighi (USA) 2:09:53
The 2008 Flora London Marathon is scheduled for Sunday, April 13.
(c) 2007 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
***Note: We encourage EVERYONE to see a doctor before altering their diet, taking a supplement and/or performing athletic, fitness or other strenuous physical activity. It is your responsibility to evaluate the accuracy, completeness and usefulness of any information, instruction, opinion or advice contained in the content. Please also see our complete disclaimer.***
Tags: aberrahim goumri, aleksey sokolov, beijing olympics, Dave Bedford, David Bedford, elite field, elite men, Emmanuel Mutai, england, Felix Limo, flora london marathon, Great Britain, Hendrick Ramaala, Jaouad Gharib, London, london2008, london2008news, luke kibet, Martin Lel, Meb Keflezighi, paul tergat, Stefano Baldini, United Kingdom, World Marathon Majors, yonas kifle
Like what you see? Subscribe to our feed!
The Final Sprint
[…] Read the rest of this great post here […]
December 12th, 2007 at 10:42 am[…] Lel Leads Stacked Elite Field for 2008 London Marathon […]
December 12th, 2007 at 11:17 am