The london marathonone of the six “majors”, celebrating its 42nd edition this Sunday with more than 50,000 runners on the streets of the British capital and with the Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekelethe second fastest athlete in history by far, as the main favourite.
Bekelewhich proves 2h01:41 as the best personal brand in Berlin (Germany), in 2019, at the age of 40, he hopes to win in London even if he did not arrive at the event in the best conditions, according to Jos Hermens, his agent, today week , who revealed that the Ethiopian was “quite ill” last week.
Success can be made clear to Bekele after shortthis very week, from the British Mr. Farahwhose right hip injury would prevent him from running a marathon again nearly three years later.
In the female category it won’t bedue to a last minute hamstring injury, the world record holder, the Kenyan brigid kosgeiso the victory could be between his compatriot, the current champion Joyceline Jepkosgeiand the Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualawwho posted the fastest female debut this year in Hamburg in 2:17:23.
Elite athletes will be part of a list of 50,097 runners (59% male and 41% female) with a number for this edition. Of all of them, 75% are British and 25% are foreigners, the oldest being Japanese Koichi Kitabatake, 89 years old, and the youngest being Englishman Alex Horsley, who will be 18 on race day.
a test of history
The first London marathon was held March 29, 1981 with over six thousand runners, driven by Olympic steeplechase medalists Chris Brasher and John Disley, who, after running in New York, decided to organize a similar race in the British capital.
That first edition had two male winners who crossed the finish line with the same time of 2h11:48, the American Dick Beardsley and the Norwegian Inge Simonsen, while in the female category the only winner was the British Joyce Smith, who won at 2h29:57. .
The london marathon will always be associated with the figure of the British runner Paula Radcliffewon three times, one of them on April 13, 2003, with a world record (2h15:25). That mark stood with her until 2019, when Kenyan Brigid Kosgei ran 2:14:04 at the Chicago Marathon.
What does it keep? Paula Radcliffe is the London Marathon record holderwhile the Kenyan Eliud Kipchogeon his 2019 success with 2h02:37it’s still a rival to lose.
The only Spaniard to achieve the feat was Soriano Abel Antonwhich he won in 1998 in a time of 2:07:57.
From 1981 to 1987 it was played alternately between the months of April and May and since then, 1988, it has always been played in April. This is the third consecutive time the race has been held in October and, for now, the last, as in 2023 it will return to its old date of April 23.
The london marathon is part of ‘six major’the six best marathons in the world, including Boston, Chicago, New York, Tokyo and Berlin.
The race, with three starting points that meet before five kilometers, runs around the River Thames, has a flat and fast profile and passes some of the most emblematic points of the city such as the Tower Bridge, the London Eye , Big Ben or Buckingham Palace. The finish line is located on The Mall next to Saint James’s Palace.
Source: La Verdad
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
