Like a bull at a rodeo, the men’s field at the 28th Flora London Marathon bolted out of the gate with reckless abandon. The athletes who were strong enough to hang on were rewarded with personal and national records, while others were thrown to the street, their hopes of victory incinerated by the fast pace.
But when the dust had settled at the grand finish line on The Mall, race director David Bedford’s bold experiment in aggressive pacemaking yielded –by several measures– the fastest men’s marathon of all-time, with three men cracking 2:06:00, and six men breaking 2:07:00, for the first time ever in a single race. Those times came after a breathtaking 62:12 first half which left some of the world’s best marathoners well off the pace.
“It was crazy,” said last year’s runner-up, Abderrahim Goumri, of the 14:21 (downhill) first 5-K.
But the fast pace, coupled with a cold and drenching rain which fell from the 18th through the 23rd miles, did little to knock defending champion Martin Lel (Pictured above) off of his game.
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Kenya’s Martin Lel defended his title and smashed Khalid Khannouchi’s Flora London Marathon course record here today, clocking 2:05:15, a personal best. His compatriot, Samuel Wanjiru, stayed with Lel until the final turns before the finish, but was out-sprinted in the last 400m by the World Marathon Majors points leader. He finished second in 2:05:21, also a personal best. Abderrahim Goumri, last year’s runner-up, finished third in a Moroccan record 2:05:30.
American Ryan Hall, who fell back in the middle stages of the race after the blistering 62:12 first half began to take its toll, rebounded in the second half to finish fifth in 2:06:16 (unofficial), becoming the second-fastest American of all-time behind Khannouchi. Kenyan Emmanual Mutai held off Hall in the final sprint to take fifth in 2:06:14 (unofficial). With Deribe Merga taking sixth in 2:06:39 (unofficial), six men broke 2:07, the first time that has ever happened in marathon running.
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In Episode 134 of TheFinalSprint.com Podcast, the most listened to running podcast in North America, I am joined by U.S. marathon runner Peter Gilmore. Gilmore, who is sponsored by MarathonGuide.com and Enlyten Sports Strips, will hop the pond to London for the first time this Sunday where he’ll face many of the world’s top marathoners on his quest to break 2:10 and set a new PR.
In the interview Gilmore talks about his goals for Sunday, choosing London over Boston, the world-class competition, Ryan Hall, running one of his first international races, and adjusting to a new course.
Download the podcast to hear Gilmore discuss these topics, as well as, his health since the U.S. Olympic Men’s Marathon Trials, whether that race haunts or motivates him, the definition of a “blue collar runner”, why he does not plan to run the 10k at the U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials and much more!
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Host:Adam Jacobs | Guest: Peter Gilmore
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Music: Ryan Ahlwardt & Darnell Perkins
File size: 19.3 MB | Length: 00:28:11
Episode Sponsored By: U.S. Army Special Forces
If your measure of success goes way beyond the mainstream, if you think limits are something to be pushed, if your greatest motivation is doing the impossible, we may have a career for you.
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Visit goarmy.com/specialforces.There’s strong and then there’s Army Strong.
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Welcome to the official blog of elite American middle-distance runner Nick Symmonds. Make sure to check every other Monday at http://nicksymmonds.thefinalsprint.com/ for Nick’s latest entry! For more information about Nick, also please visit: www.nicksymmonds.com
I am currently sitting in a cafe in Oviedo, a small city in the north of Spain and I’m thinking I have the best job in the world. I get paid to travel to many foreign places doing what I love to do. Well, usually I love this job, but sometimes it challenges me with the most difficult experiences. I ran into a new challenge this past weekend in Valencia, Spain at the 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships.
After passing through the prelims and semi-finals with relative ease, I found myself preparing to race in my first World finals. I was about to compete against five of the fastest people on this planet. The prospect had me excited to say the least and I had no idea what to expect. Though this was my first final on the World level, I have been in many championship races. They are, especially in the 800m, impossible to predict.
I assumed that it would go out at a modest pace and eventually slow down leaving things perfectly set-up for me to unleash a 200m kick that would surely result in a top three finish … No such luck.
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Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years BR Sportswear is closing out their line of high -quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!
Episode 86 of The Final Sprint Podcast features my interview with 2004 Olympian KATE O’NEIL about making her marathon debut at Sunday’s Lasalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
In January, Kate finished second and ran a personal best 1:11:47 at the Aramco Half-Marathon in Houston. She continued her success with third places finishes at the Falmouth Road Race in August and the New Haven 20-K in September (where she also set another PR).
In the interview, Kate talks about her mental and physical preparation for Chicago, plans to run in next April’s U.S. Olympic Women’s Marathon Trails in Boston, and why she chose Chicago over other fall marathons (i.e. - New York) for her debut.
Download the podcast to hear Kate discuss these topics, as well as, how Deena Kastor and the other members of Team Running USA in Mammoth Lakes, CA have helped with her approach to the marathon, her views on the role of pacesetters, how cheering fans have confused her with her twin sister Laura when they ran together at Yale, and much more!
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Host: Adam Jacobs | Guest: Kate O’Neil
Producers: Greg Cherniet, Adam Jacobs
Musicians: Ryan Ahlwardt, Darnell Perkins
File Size: 12.0 MB | Length: 17:30 MIN
Episode sponsored by: Bill Rodgers Sportswear
After 21 years Bill Rodgers Sportswear is closing out their line of high-quality running apparel. Visit shopfest.com to take advantage of an unprecedented 50% discount on all in-stock items!
At tonight’s KBC Night of Athletics meeting in Heusden, Belgium, American miler Alan Webb stepped down to the 800m and won a close contest over Canada’s Gary Reed, 1:43.84 to 1:44.03.
Webb’s time was the second-fastest in the world this year, a career best, and the fastest by an American since Khadevis Robinson’s 1:43.68 recorded at Rieti, Italy, last September.
The 24 year-old continues to have the best season of his career. He broke the USA record for the mile (3:46.91), and set personal bests for 800m (1:43.84), 1500m (3:30.54), and indoor mile (3:55.18). He also won the USA indoor title at the mile and the outdoor title at 1500m. He has recorded 11 victories on the track this year, including heats.
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