Joyce Chepchumba yesterday received one of the biggest cheques ever handed to a female athlete after running her way into the record books - and a storm of confusion.

Chepchumba again stole the London Marathon limelight following a dramatic sprint down The Mall which guaranteed her the considerable pay-day.

With both Catherina McKiernan and Liz McColgan - who finished first and second last year - not running on this occasion, the women's race was expected to be a tame affair. But Kenyan Chepchumba, who beat McColgan by one second in 1997 in one of the most memorable races ever seen, made sure she would again take the headlines and with it a place in marathon history.

Although fellow Kenyan and close friend Tegla Loroupe holds the official world record of two hours 20 minutes and 47 seconds, set in Rotterdam last year, that was in a mixed race.

Yesterday, Loroupe won in Rotterdam again, in the year's fastest time of 2:22.49.

London organisers, however, have a policy of recognising records achieved in women-only races, and prior to the event acknowledged Lidia Simon's mark of 2:23.24 clocked in her win in Osaka at the end of January.

"I believe my time is better because I was on my own," admitted Chepchumba, who will give some of the money to her family and some to help in the development of up-and-coming Kenyan athletes.

"If you run with men then your time is going to be good. But I think if it is going to be the world's best then it should be in a women-only race."

The 28-year-old Chepchumba, third last year, broke the tape with a time two seconds faster than that of Simon. It was no wonder as she had just earned herself £143,750, not including her appearance money.