On Sunday, 23-years old Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw won the London Marathon and became the first woman to do this. Yehualaw became the youngest woman to win the London Marathon at 23.
The thing which made Yehualaw’s victory more spectacular was her endurance on the speed bump with six miles to go.
Yehualaw won the race and crossed the line in 2hr 17min 26sec, which was the third fastest time in the history of the women’s race, behind Paula Radcliffe and Mary Keitany.
After winning the race, Yehualaw said I was heading to a water station, so I did not see the bump coming, and It was very painful. I have lost some feeling in my hip, knee, and my hand, and they are still sore now, she said.
In the last two miles, the race was a shootout between Yehualaw and last year’s winner Joyciline Jepkosgei, in which Yehualaw hit the afterburners and ran the 24th mile in 4min 43sec to power to victory from Jepkosgei by 41sec. 2nd placed Joyciline Jepkosgei crossed the line in 2:18:07, and the third-placed crossed the line in 2:18:32.
Yehualaw now plans a return to London to defend her title, and she admits she will have bigger goals on her mind then, too.
Yehualaw said It is my first time in London, so I am so happy to win, people were shouting a lot, and it inspired me, but the longer plan I have is that I would like to next time break the world record.
Meanwhile, In the men’s race, Kenyan Amos Kipruto won the race by crossing the line at 2:04:39, while Leul Gebresilase was in second place and crossed the line at 2:05:12, and Bashir Abdi was in third place and crossed the line at 2:05:19.
After winning the race, Kipruto said I was thinking this is the day, and I made it, and this is the biggest win of my career.
In the men’s wheelchair race, Marcel Hug won by crossing the line at 1:24:38, while Daniel Romanchukwas in second place and crossed the line at 1:24:40, and David Weir was in third place and crossed the line at 1:30:31.
In the women’s wheelchair race, Catherine Debrunner won by crossing the line at 1:38:24, while Susannah Scaroni was in second place and crossed the line at 1:42:21, and Eden Rainbow-Cooper was in third place and crossed the line at 1:47:27.
