Amos Kipruto delivered a devastating final three miles to claim the 2022 TCS London Marathon for Kenya as he stormed home in 2:04:39.
Kipruto added to his 16 points earned for second in Tokyo as he saw off the challenges of Leul Gebresilaie, Bashir Abdi and Kinde Atanaw, with Kenenisa Bekele back in fifth.
2021 champion Sisay Lemma was in the mix with the leading pack through the 30km mark but the Ethiopian began to struggle as they approached the 35km split.
With early predictions of miserable conditions proving to be inaccurate, Kipruto held his nerve until the pack was reduced to four men as they hit the Victoria Embankment, and he put his foot to the floor as they climbed the small gradient towards Monument. By the time he was at Big Ben, He had established an unassailable gap, and sailed home to seal a maiden AbbottWMM victory.
Gebresilasie was second in 2:05:12 with Bashir Abdi in 2:05:19.
There was also a first Majors title for Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw, who backed up her impressive debut in Hamburg earlier this year with a blistering run to win in in 2:17:26, the third fastest time ever for a woman in London.
The women were well inside Mary Keitany’s women’s only course record at the halfway point, but it soon became all about the victory, and a fight between defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei and Yehualaw ensued.
The 10km road world record holder decided to test the Kenyan’s mettle with a surge as they clicked through the 40km mark, and Jepkosgei had no reply.
The 23-year-old was left to soak up the applause as she coasted down The Mall to establish herself as a serious player on the Abbott World Marathon Majors stage with a 2:17:26 finish.
Jepkosgei was second in 2:18:07 with Alemu Megertu in 2:18:32
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