Runners defied pouring rain on Sunday to take part in the 40th London Marathon – with only the elite athletes competing in a traditional race in the capital.
Some 45,000 people are running or walking along their own 26.2-mile route around the UK, after the mass event originally planned for April 26 was postponed due to coronavirus.
Elite Women
In the elite women’s event in London, world record-holder Brigid Kosgei defended her title around a sodden St James’s Park.
The 26-year-old comfortably won her duel with fellow Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich, the world champion, who was eventually pipped for second by America’s Sarah Hall.
Virgin Money London Marathon (PA Wire)Competitors in action during the elite women’s race (PA Wire)A steward sweeps the course (PA Wire)Cardboard cut-outs stood in for the usual crowds lining the marathon route - among them former competitors and the Queen (PA Wire)Passing Horse Guards Parade (PA Wire)Great Britain’s Stephanie Twell was forced to retire injured (PA Wire)Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei won the elite women’s race (PA Wire)Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei (centre) celebrates winning the elite women’s race alongside second-placed USA’s Sara Hall (left) and Kenya’s Ruth Chepngetich in third (PA Wire)
Elite men
In the men’s race, Eliud Kipchoge’s reign as the king of the London Marathon came to a shock end as Shura Kitata emerged from the rain and the gloom to become the new champion.
In a stunning upset, Kipchoge, who had won all of his previous four London Marathons and had not lost over the distance in seven years, ended up finishing in eighth place.
Instead the title was up for grabs and it was Ethiopian Kitata who snatched it in two hours, five minutes and 41 seconds, pipping Kenya’s Vincent Kipchumba on the line after a thrilling sprint finish.
Virgin Money London Marathon – St James’ Park (PA Wire)Athletes make their way past Horse Guards Parade (PA Wire)Sir Mo Farah (PA Wire)Kenya’s Benson Kipruto in action (PA Wire)Ben Connor (PA Wire)Ben Connor (PA Wire)Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata wins the elite men’s race (PA Wire)Ethiopia’s Shura Kitata (centre) celebrates victory alongside second-placed Vincent Kipchumba of Kenya (right) and third-placed Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia (PA Wire)
Virtual marathon
The Duke of Sussex, Patron of the London Marathon Charitable Trust, poses with runners in Los Angeles before they take on the virtual Virgin Money London Marathon (PA Wire)Sophie the Countess of Wessex joined Tomas Cardillo-Zallo, a member of Mencap’s learning disability running team and his mother Sue for the first 1.5 miles of their virtual London Marathon on the Long Walk in Windsor (PA Wire)Countess of Wessex (PA Wire)Meanwhile in South Shields, Colin Burgin-Plews, 52, undertook his fifth marathon in his home town (PA Wire)London Marathon 2020 (PA Wire)Ken Jones, 87, takes part in the virtual London Marathon in his home town of Strabane, west Tyrone (PA Wire)
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