LONDON MARATHON:RUSSIAS LILIYA Shobukhova scuppered the ambitions of Mara Yamauchi and several other big names to become the first Russian woman to win the Virgin London Marathon yesterday.
Mara Yamauchi’s epic struggle to reach the start of the race proved a journey too far for the Japan-based Briton as she failed to repeat last year’s runner-up performance, crossing the line in 10th place yesterday.
The 36-year-old admitted she had considered dropping out at one point in the race, but refused to use her gruelling six-day journey to London, due to the volcanic ash, as an excuse.
“I don’t want to make excuses,” Yamauchi said. “So many athletes try to justify poor performances with excuses. I just wasn’t fast enough and I’ve got to go away and figure out why. The time I ran was okay . . . although coming 10th sounds pretty rubbish.”
After a positive start, in which she was well positioned behind the pacemaker, Yamauchi began to fade as the pack approached the halfway point. By the time she crossed Tower Bridge Yamauchi was five seconds off the leading pack, with Shobukhova attacking the pace and stretching the group. Yamauchi could not cope and fell back to eighth.
Yamauchi was not alone in her struggle. The defending champion, Germany’s Irina Mikitenko, dropped out of the running altogether after crossing Tower Bridge, while the Olympic champion, Constantina Dita, Deena Kastor, Ludmila Petrova and Berhane Adere fell further away from the lead group.
Shobukhova, a European record holder at 5,000m, sensed her advantage and used her speed to push. By the 20-mile point the 32-year-old had whittled the lead group down to four runners, the race developing into a Russia versus Ethiopia battle between Shobukhova, Inga Abitova, Aselefech Mergia and Bezunesh Bekele.
Mergia tried to snatch the win in the closing stages, forcing the frontrunners into the fastest mile of the race, but she could not sustain her lead. Shobukhova took over at 25 miles and crossed the line in 2hr 22min flat, almost two and a half minutes faster than her previous personal best. She is the first Russian woman to win the London title. Her compatriot, Abitova, finished in second place, with Mergia in third.
In the men’s race, Tsegaye Kebede halted Kenya’s domination of the men’s event since his fellow Ethiopian Gezahegne Abera won in 2003. He became the third Ethiopian to win the London title after the defending champion, Sammy Wanjiru of Kenya, dropped out with 10 miles to go, having injured his right knee.
By then only Kebede and the world champion, Abel Kirui, were in contention for the win, but as Kirui faded in the final miles – eventually limping across the line to finish in fifth place – it was the Olympic and world bronze medallist Ethiopian who won in a time of 2:05.19, just outside the course record. Emmanuel Mutai of Kenya finished in second place, while the 38-year-old multiple gold medallist Jaouad Gharib of Morocco took third.
Paralympic gold medallist David Weir was denied a fourth London victory when he was beaten into third by Canada’s Josh Cassidy and Marcel Hug of Switzerland. Cassidy, 25, who is of Irish descent, was a runaway winner in 1:35:21 with Hug 46 seconds back.
Weir, who clocked 1:37:01, said: “Obviously it’s disappointing. I had a front puncture first which I could handle but then when my left tyre gave up further on, that made it almost impossible to race.”
Guardian service
