London Marathon – News – Hassan, Kiptum Impress at Rainy TCS London Marathon

HASSAN, KIPTUM IMPRESS AT RAINY TCS LONDON MARATHON
By David Monti, @d9monti
(c) 2023 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved – Used with permission.

   NOTE: This story was written remotely –Ed.

(23-Apr) — Using totally different strategies, Dutchwoman Sifan Hassan and Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum were victorious at this morning’s 43rd TCS London Marathon held in cool and rainy conditions.  Hassan, the 2019 World Athletics 1500m and 10,000m champion, won in her debut at the distance with a spectacular come-from-behind performance in 2:18:33.  Kiptum, 23, who only made his marathon debut last December in Valencia, flattened a top-class field with a 59:45 second half (the fastest second half ever in a certified marathon) to win in a course record 2:01:25, the second-fastest time in history.

HASSAN COMES BACK

The surprises began early in the women’s elite race when world record holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya, who complained of hamstring problems in her pre-race interviews, went straight to the back and dropped out just past the one kilometer mark.  Up the road, a lead pack of ten had formed behind four pacemakers: Peres Jepchirchir, Judith Jeptum Korir, and Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya; Genzebe Dibaba, Alemu Megertu, Tadu Teshome, Almaz Ayana, Yalemzerf Yehualaw, and Sutume Asefa Kebede of Ethiopia; and Hassan.  The first 5 km segment is downhill, so their split of 16:13 wasn’t surprising, on pace for a sub-2:17 finish.

Hassan ran at the back of the pack, as is her custom on the track.  She stayed on the heels of the main group through 15 km (48:43), but just before 20 km she felt the need to stop briefly and stretch her left quadriceps muscle. In fact she stopped twice, and by halfway (1:08:29) she was fully 10 seconds behind.  She lost even more ground in the next segment, and was 28 seconds off the pace through 25-K.

“At 20-K I was feeling my legs,” Hassan would tell reporters later.  “I wasn’t tired and I didn’t care how I was going to finish.”

But, between 25 and 30 km –the first segment with no pacemakers– Hassan’s prospects improved.  The main group slowed and Hassan’s deficit was only three seconds.  Moreover, Ayana and Teshome had been dropped.  Hassan was in seventh position at that point, and resumed her earlier position at the back of the main group.

Moments later, Peres put in a surge in the 19th mile, which shaved the lead group to just 4: Jepchirchir, Megertu, Yehualaw, and Chepkirui.  Hassan was again off the pace, but she didn’t panic….