Jemima Sumgong recovered from a mid-race fall to win the London Marathon on Sunday and make it a Kenyan double.
The 31-year-old picked herself up after banging her head on the ground when she was tripped at a water station eight kilometres from the finish, getting tangled up with two other runners.
Astonishingly, Sumgong battled back into contention and prevailed in a duel with last year's winner, Ethiopia's Tigist Tufa, for her first major marathon title since Rotterdam three years ago.
Sumgong hit her head after she was clipped from behind in a collision that also saw Ethiopian Aselefech Mergia and Kenya's two-time winner Mary Keitany tumble.
Yet even though she ended up rubbing her head in pain as she got to her feet, she still chased down the leaders and eventually beat last year's surprise winner Tufa by five seconds.
Meanwhile, Eliud Kipchoge produced the second-fastest run in marathon history to successfully defend his title in the men's race.
The elegant Kipchoge, who retained his crown in a course record 2hr, 3min 5s, finished an agonising eight seconds outside Dennis Kimetto's landmark of 2hr, 2min 57s.
In cool conditions perfect for a stellar field, Kipchoge finally broke away from fellow Kenyan, New York champion Stanley Biwott, in the final three kilometres.
The 31-year-old powered home to beat Biwott by 46 seconds and shatter Kenyan Wilson Kipsang's course record of 2hr, 4min 29s.
In third place was Ethiopian distance great Kenenisa Bekele, who was over three and a half minutes behind the champion in 2hr, 6min 36s. World record holder Kimetto finished ninth in 2hr, 11min 44s.
Kipchoge was delighted that, in a race which was effectively doubling as an Olympic trial for a stellar field of Kenyan athletes, he must have confirmed his place for Rio de Janeiro, where he will start a hot favourite.
"I'll be more than happy when I hear my name," he said.
Reuters
