Organisers of the Shanghai International Marathon have assembled a star-studded field, spearheaded by former world record-holder Dennis Kimetto, in the hopes of improving the course records of both races at the IAAF Gold Label event on Sunday (18).
Although Kimetto has not finished a marathon since April 2016, the second fastest runner of all time, whose lifetime best of 2:02:57 was beaten by Eliud Kipchoge just two months ago, is still seen as the biggest hope to break the 2:07:14 course record set in 2015. He even stands a chance of rewriting the Chinese all-comers&rsquo; record of 2:06:19 set by compatriot Moses Mosop in Xiamen, but his primary goal will simply be making it to the finish line.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tsegaye Mekonnen, the second fastest entrant in the field, will also want to prove his competitiveness in Shanghai. The 23-year-old set his personal best of 2:04:32 when winning the 2014 Dubai Marathon, the fastest time in history by an U20 athlete. He came close to that mark two year later with his third-place finish in Dubai in 2:04:46 and last year he took a 2:07:26 win in Hamburg. But his only outing in 2018 has been a 20th-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon in 2:10:26.
Mekonnen&rsquo;s compatriot Seyefu Tura, on the contrary, has enjoyed a successful year so far. The 21-year-old clocked 2:04:44 to finish seventh at the Dubai Marathon in January, improving his PB by more than four minutes, and went on to grab his first marathon title in Milan in April in 2:09:04.
The field includes several other sub-2:10 runners such as Ethiopia&rsquo;s Yitayal Atnafu, runner-up at the 2018 Houston Marathon with a PB of 2:07:00, and Kenya&rsquo;s Asbel Kipsang, a 2:07:30 performer who will be competing in Shanghai for the third consecutive year after finishing second and third in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
Sub-2:20 runners Yebrgual Melese and Sarah Chepchirchir will face one another in the women&rsquo;s race.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Melese trimmed more than three minutes off her PB to finish third in Dubai in 2:19:36. She also clocked 2:27:47 to finish second at the Yellow River Estuary International Marathon in Dongying, China. Sunday&rsquo;s race will be her third marathon of the year.
The 34-year-old Chepchirchir of Kenya is the second-fastest woman in the field. Following a solid season in 2017 when she registered her big PB of 2:19:47 from her victory at the Tokyo Marathon and successfully defended her title in Lisbon, Chepchirchir will be keen to continue her winning streak in her first race in 2018.
Kenya&rsquo;s Flomena Cheyech, 36, is the other title contender whose PB is faster than the 2:21:52 course record in Shanghai set by Tigist Tufa of Ethiopia three years ago. Cheyech clocked a PB of 2:21:22 to finish third in Paris last April and finished fourth over the classic distance at the IAAF World Championships in London. Her most recent performance was a 2:33:01 clocking at the Nagoya Women's Marathon in March.
Helen Tola Bekele, who will celebrate her 24th birthday next week, is another woman to watch. The rising Ethiopian has improved her PB each season since making her marathon debut in 2015, recently reducing it to 2:22:48 in Berlin.
Vincent Wu for the IAAF
<h3> Kipruto to make half marathon debut in Boulogne-Billancourt</h3>
Kenya&rsquo;s 2008 Olympic steeplechase champion Brimin Kipruto will embark on the road-running chapter of his career when he lines up for the Boulogne-Billancourt Christian Grangier Half-Marathon, an IAAF Bronze Label road race, on Sunday (18).
The 33-year-old, who also won the 2007 world steeplechase title, was eliminated from his heat at the IAAF World Championships London 2017, which was his last competition to date.
Having now shifted his focus to the roads, he will have much to do in Boulogne-Billancourt with the likes of Josphat Tanui and Olika Adugna also in the race.
Tanui has a personal best of 59:22 set last year in Usti, suggesting that Franklin Chepkwony&rsquo;s course record of 1:00:11 from 2013 could be in jeopardy. His season&rsquo;s best, however, is 1:01:14 from the Prague Half Marathon in April, while his most recent performance at the distance was a 1:02:42 clocking in Usti Nad Labem in September.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Adugna illustrated his current form by winning the challenging Marseille-Cassis 20km race three weeks ago. The 19-year-old finished fifth in the 10,000m at the IAAF World U20 Championships Tampere 2018.
Ishmael Kalale has set two half marathon PBs this year. The 23-year-old was runner-up in Verona in February in 1:01:03 before lowering his best to 1:00:47 in Lisbon one month ago.
The field also includes Precious Mashele of South Africa, who set a PB of 1:01:48 last year in Boulogne-Billancourt, Yismaw Ayeno of Ethiopia, who was fifth in Marseille-Cassis, and Taye Girma, whose 10km PB of 28:06 indicates he could play a leading role in what will be his half marathon debut.
In the women&rsquo;s race, Kenya&rsquo;s Parendis Lakapana will attempt to move up from her second-place showing last year. She set a PB of 1:09:13 on that occasion to finish 44 seconds adrift of Rahma Tusa, who broke the course record with 1:08:29.
Two months ago Lakapana won in Krems in a time of 1:09:23, only 10 seconds outside her PB.
Her main opponent should be compatriot Susan Jeptoo, who clocked a best of 1:09:02 in Lille last year. This year she has set PBs of 31:59 for 10km and 2:30:50 for the marathon, while she also prevailed in Porto in a season&rsquo;s best of 1:11:06.
Irvette Van Zyl of South Africa, Karine Pasquier of France and Hanane El Bajaoui of Morocco should also be in contention for a podium finish.
Quentin Guillon for the IAAF
<h3> Lemciyeh faces tough challenge in defence of Kobe Marathon title</h3>
Morocco&rsquo;s Khalil Lemciyeh will defend his title at the Kobe Marathon on Sunday (18) but faces a strong field at the IAAF Bronze Label road race.
The 31-year-old won by almost two minutes last year, clocking a course record of 2:12:49. His season&rsquo;s best in the marathon so far this year is 2:15:48, but he set a half marathon PB of 1:00:59 in Valencia just three weeks ago, suggesting he is coming into form at the right time and could even challenge his PB of 2:11:58.
Norway&rsquo;s Weldu Negash is the fastest man in the field, based on PBs and season&rsquo;s bests. He finished seventh in Daegu earlier this year in 2:10:39, just one minute and 25 seconds shy of the PB he set in Rotterdam in 2014. He will be looking to rebound after failing to finish the marathon at the European Championships in Berlin.
After finishing second in Kobe last year, Cosmas Kyeva will be hoping to go one better on Sunday, but the Kenyan will be contesting his second marathon within five weeks, having won in Poznan in October with 2:11:45.
Tanzani&rsquo;s Saidi Makula, fourth in Kobe last year, hasn&rsquo;t raced since the Commonwealth Games in April. A 2:12:01 performer at his best, he was one of several athletes in Gold Coast who didn&rsquo;t finish the marathon, which was held in stifling heat.
Australia&rsquo;s Liam Adams, who finished fifth at the Commonwealth Games, and marathon debutant Hamza Sahli of Morocco will also be in Kobe.
Munkhzaya Bayartsogt, who last year set a Mongolian record of 2:30:54, is the fastest woman in the field for Sunday&rsquo;s race. This will be her fifth marathon of the year, though, and after clocking 2:31:12 back in March, her next three marathons were progressively slower.
Eritrea&rsquo;s Kokob Tesfagaber has had a less hectic racing schedule in 2018. After setting a PB of 1:12:15 at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships Valencia 2018, she recorded a lifetime best of 2:31:45 at the Wuhan Marathon.
If either woman arrives in Kobe close to their absolute best, they could challenge the course record of 2:33:14 set last year by USA&rsquo;s Maegan Krifchin.
Morocco&rsquo;s Sana Achahbar finished second last year and will want to make it on to the podium again. Nina Savina of Belarus set a PB of 2:33:50 at the European Championships and will be keen to improve on that in what will be just her third race at the distance.
Kenya&rsquo;s Susan Jerotich and Australia&rsquo;s Melanie Panayiotou are also in the field, while Kanae Shimoyama, who clocked 2:38:50 in Osaka earlier this year, is the leading Japanese contender.

Organisers of the Shanghai International Marathon have assembled a star-studded field, spearheaded by former world record-holder Dennis Kimetto, in the hopes of improving the course records of both races at the IAAF Gold Label event on Sunday (18).

Kimetto returns in Shanghai, Kipruto set for half marathon debut in Boulogne-Billancourt – weekend road-racing preview

World record-holder Dennis Kimetto will next compete over 26.2 miles at the Vienna City Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on 22 April.
Although the likes of Haile Gebrselassie and Paula Radcliffe have contested the half marathon in the Austrian capital, this will be the first time in the 34-year history of the event that a marathon world record-holder has lined up for the Vienna City Marathon.
The 34-year-old, who ran a world record of 2:02:57 in Berlin 2014, hopes to rekindle his career in Vienna next month.
&ldquo;I was able to train without injuries for a good period,&rdquo; said Kimetto, who last completed a marathon in London in 2016 when he finished ninth in 2:11:44. &ldquo;I believe in my capabilities and want to show a strong performance in Vienna.
&ldquo;If conditions are good then I want to attack the course record (2:05:41),&rdquo; he added of the mark set by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Getu Feleke in 2014. &ldquo;The most important thing is that after several disappointing races in the past two years I can achieve a good marathon result again.&rdquo;
Kimetto took the road-running scene by storm with three major wins in the spring of 2012. He first won the star-studded Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon, and then won the Berlin Half Marathon with a lifetime best of 59:14 before returning to the German capital one month later to break the world 25km best with 1:11:18.
After a second-place finish in 2:04:16 &ndash; the fastest debut marathon on a record-eligible course at that time &ndash; in Berlin later that year, Kimetto went on to win the Tokyo and Chicago marathons in 2013.
Kimetto&rsquo;s world record has survived challenges from marathon superstars Eliud Kipchoge, Wilson Kipsang and Kenenisa Bekele over the past three years. But during that time, Kimetto has struggled to reproduce his dominant form from 2012-2014.
&ldquo;Dennis wants to show something in Vienna,&rdquo; said his manager Gerard van de Veen. &ldquo;He is an athlete of extraordinary quality. After he ran his world record in Berlin, his physical problems started. I think the race in Berlin took a lot out of his body. We suggested to him to run in Vienna because we have good experience with the event and the course is fine for running a good time.&rdquo;
Organisers for the IAAF

World record-holder Dennis Kimetto will next compete over 26.2 miles at the Vienna City Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label road race, on 22 April.

Kimetto aims to prove his form in Vienna 

World record holder Dennis Kimetto and two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat will lead formidable fields at the 121st edition of the Boston Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 17 April, organisers announced today.
Kimetto, 32, leads a field of nine men who have lifetime bests under 2:05:30. Kimetto is a Chicago and Tokyo champion who set the world marathon standard with his 2:02:57 victory in Berlin in 2014. Kimetto also holds the world 25km record of 1:11:18 set in 2012, also in Berlin.
He can expect a slew of Kenyan compatriots for company, Emmanuel Mutai, Patrick Makau and Sammy Kitwara among them.
Mutai, who finished second to Kimetto in the 2014 Berlin race, is a London and Amsterdam champion and won the silver medal at the 2009 IAAF World Championships. Makau is a former marathon world record-holder, two-time Berlin and Fukuoka winner, and champion in Rotterdam and Frankfurt. Kitwara has run six half marathons under one hour and is coming off a December win in Taipei.
Ethiopia will also be well represented, led by 2016 Boston Marathon champion Lemi Berhanu Hayle, who'll run along side countrymen Yemane Tsegay, Dino Sefir and Sisay Lemma.
Tsegay, who finished third in Boston last year, claimed the silver medal at the 2015 IAAF World Championships and has nine global marathon wins to his credit, most recently Fukuoka last month. Sefir arrives after 2016 victories in Ottawa and Barcelona while Lemma won in Frankfurt and Vienna in 2015. Both are new to the Boston course.
Four other Kenyan men are also expected in mix: Wesley Korir, the 2012 Boston winner; Wilson Chebet, a three-time Amsterdam winner who has finished second and third in Boston; Geoffrey Kirui, a rising talent who won the bronze medal in the 10,000m at the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships; and Daniel Salel, the 2016 BAA Half Marathon champion.
Olympians Yared Asmeron of Eritrea, Cutbert Nyasango of Zimbabwe, and Eric Gillis of Canada also are in the field. U.S. elite men previously announced include 2014 Boston winner and 2004 Olympic silver medallist Meb Keflezighi and 2016 Olympic Marathon bronze medallist Galen Rupp.
<h3>Kiplagat vs Baysa in women's race</h3>
Kiplagat will head a women's field that includes nine runners who have clocked 2:23:23 or better.
The 37-year-old Kenyan is one of the most accomplished marathoners in the world, with victories in London, New York City and Los Angeles in her collection, along with the Abbott World Marathon Majors series title from in 2013-2014. In 2016 she was third in Tokyo and second in Chicago, running 2:22:36 and 2:23:28 respectively.
She'll be joined by compatriots Gladys Cherono, the 2015 Berlin winner and 2014 world half marathon champion, and Caroline Rotich, the 2015 winner in Boston, Prague and Las Vegas.
Valentine Kipketer, Joyce Chepkirui, and Brigid Kosgei round out the top Kenyan entrants. Kipketer's credentials include past victories in Amsterdam and Mumbai while Chepkirui has notched a win in Amsterdam and two wins in Honolulu. Kosgei meanwhile won both Milan and Honolulu in 2016.
The Ethiopian contingent will be led by two past winners: defending champion Atsede Baysa and Buzunesh Deba, who set the course record of 2:19:59 with her victory in 2014. They'll be joined by Ruti Aga, whose 2016 performances include a runner-up finish in Vienna and a third-place showing in Berlin.
The field also includes four-time Olympian Jelena Prokopcuka of Latvia, a two-time New York City winner and two-time Boston runner-up who returns after a 12th place showing at the Olympic marathon in Rio. Rose Chelimo of Bahrain, eighth in Rio, and three-time Olympian Diane Nukuri of Burundi are also in the field.
Leading the domestic charge, previously announced, are four-time Olympian and 2008 10,000m Olympic bronze medallist Shalane Flanagan, who was sixth in Rio, and two-time Olympian Desiree Linden, seventh in August's Olympic marathon.
Organisers for the IAAF

World record holder Dennis Kimetto and two-time world champion Edna Kiplagat will lead formidable fields at the 121st edition of the Boston Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 17 April, organisers announced today.

Kimetto and Kiplagat lead Boston Marathon fields

Marathon world record-holder Dennis Kimetto and defending champion Florence Kiplagat will return to the&nbsp;Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday 9 October.
Kimetto and Kiplagat stand out in a pair of outstanding fields for the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races that includes five past champions.
Chicago marks the site of Kimetto's North American all-comers' record of 2:03:45 three years ago. The Kenyan became the first runner in history to cover each 5km segment within 14:50. He then made history at the 2014 Berlin Marathon when he became the first person to run faster than 2:03, crossing the finish line in a world record of 2:02:57.
Kimetto's run from the start line in Grant Park to the finish line down Columbus Drive will be contested by defending champion Dickson Chumba of Kenya and 2012 champion Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia.
In spite of his world record in 2014, Kimetto has struggled to get back on top of the podium, which will make the 2016 Chicago Marathon anything but a one-man show.
Chumba took home his third career marathon victory at the 2015 Chicago Marathon, breaking the lead pack with three miles to go after a slow and tactical race, the first race in more than two decades without pacesetters.
Kebede's last run in Chicago four years ago resulted in a PB and a course record &ndash; later broken by Kimetto &ndash; of 2:04:38 but he is also remembered for his 2010 runner-up finish in an epic head-to-head battle against the late Sammy Wanjiru.
Kenya&rsquo;s Micah Kogo and Stephen Sambu are also in the elite field. Kogo might not have a marathon victory on his resume, but he does have an Olympic bronze medal in the 10,000m and a track best of 26:35:63, making him the sixth-fastest man in history at the distance.
He has a well-established career on the track but a major marathon championship continues to elude him so he will arrive in Chicago eager to rewrite that storyline.
Sambu has raced exceptionally well in Chicago, and netted a pair of victories at the 2015 and 2016 Bank of America Shamrock Shuffle 8K, but his potential in the marathon remains unknown. Sambu brings 10,000m speed (26:54:61) and half-marathon endurance (1:00:41) into his marathon debut.
Kenya's Gideon Kipketer and USA's Luke Puskedra could also be in the hunt for a podium finish while Koji Gokaya leads a strong contingent of Japanese runners with a personal best of 2:09:21.
<h3>Baysa the big threat to Kipketer</h3>
Kiplagat, the world record-holder in the half-marathon with 1:05:09, returns to Chicago to defend the title she won last year when she captured her first Chicago Marathon victory in 2:23:33.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Atsede Baysa and Gulume Chala as well as Kenya&rsquo;s Valentine Kipketer could to make it difficult for Kiplagat to defend her title.
Baysa, the 2010 and 2012 Chicago Marathon champion, stands out as Kiplagat's main challenger on paper. She is the reigning Boston Marathon champion and has victories in the past at the Paris (twice), Istanbul, Xiamen and Saitama marathons.
Baysa made a statement in Chicago in 2012 when she beat her opponent to the line by one second in an all-out sprint finish down Columbus Drive, running a PB of 2:22:03.
Kipketer, making her Chicago Marathon debut, looked ripe for a podium finish with four miles to go at this year's Boston Marathon but faded to fifth. Nevertheless, the 23-year-old Kipketer has a marathon best of 2:23:02 and two previous victories in Amsterdam and Mumbai, so she could be a factor.
Chala recorded her personal best when she won the 2015 Frankfurt Marathon, stopping the clock at 2:23:12.
HSA&rsquo;s Serena Burla will be hoping to prevent an East African sweep. Burla has run faster than 2:30:00 twice during her career and was the 2014 US Half Marathon champion. She also turned in one of the most impressive US marathon performances last year when she finished 10th at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015.
Highlighting an internationally diverse field is Danish Olympian Jessica Draskau Petersson, Polish champion Agnieszka Mierzejewska and 2012 British Olympian Freya Ross, the latter having a best of 2:28:10.
Ross, coached by 1984 and 1985 Chicago Marathon champion Steve Jones, is returning to elite competition after a broken hip derailed her running plans in 2014 and 2015.
Organisers for the IAAF
<h3>Elite fields (with PBs)</h3>
Men Dennis Kimetto (KEN) 2:02:57 Dickson Chumba (KEN) 2:04:32 Tsegaye Kebede (ETH) 2:04:38 Abel Kirui (KEN) 2:05:04 Micah Kogo (KEN) 2:06:56 Gideon Kipketer (KEN) 2:08:14 Koji Gokaya (JPN) 2:09:21 Takuya Fukatsu (JPN) 2:09:31 Luke Puskedra (USA) 2:10:24 Elkanah Kibet (USA) 2:11:31 Kazuya Ishida (JPN) 2:11:57 Ryoichi Matsuo (JPN) 2:12:11 Tim Young (USA) 2:14:40 David Nilsson (SWE) 2:17:19 Jose Madera (USA) 2:17:25 Tony Migliozzi (USA) 2:17:44 Jonathan Mott (USA) 2:18:12 Diego Estrada (USA) Stephen Sambu (KEN) debut Tom Anderson (GBR) debut Chris Burnett (USA) debut Kiya Dandena (USA) debut Andrew Sherman (GBR) debut Daniel Wallis (NZL) debut
Women Florence Kiplagat (KEN) 2:19:44 Atsede Baysa (ETH) 2:22:03 Valentine Kipketer (KEN) 2:23:02 Gulume Chala (ETH) 2:23:12 Serena Burla (USA) 2:28:01 Freya Ross (GBR) 2:28:10 Jessica Draskau-Petersson (DEN) &nbsp;2:30:07 Tera Moody (USA) 2:30:53 Agnieszka Mierzejewska (POL) 2:30:55 Sarah Crouch (USA) 2:32:44 Heather Lieberg (USA) 2:34:08 Sarah Cummings (USA) 2:34:47 Alia Gray (USA) 2:35:47 Laurie Knowles (USA) 2:36:29

Marathon world record-holder Dennis Kimetto and defending champion Florence Kiplagat will return to the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday 9 October.

Kimetto and Kiplagat announced for Chicago Marathon

All eyes will be on Kenya&rsquo;s marathon world record holder Dennis Kimetto and defending women&rsquo;s champion Amane Gobena at the Bogota Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, but for contrasting reasons on Sunday (31).
Kimetto &ndash; who became the first man to run under 2:03:00 for the classic distance when he ran was is still the world record of 2:02:57 at the 2014 Berlin Marathon &ndash; will be looking to resurrect his reputation in the Colombian capital after a torrid 12 months since failing to finish the marathon at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015.
Having not been selected for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, he will have a point to prove ahead barely two weeks before the Olympic athletics programme gets underway.
Taking into consideration his modest recent form, Kimetto is far from the favourite in Bogota and, instead, that role is occupied by Ethiopia&rsquo;s Sisay Lemma.
Lemma clocked a personal best of 2:05:16 when finishing fourth at the Dubai Marathon and although his next outing, finishing seventh in the London Marathon in 2:10:45, was not quite as auspicious, he has not raced since and could have put in a good period of very solid training in preparation for this race.
Kenya&rsquo;s Marius Kipserem has also run impressively over the marathon distance this year, winning in Rotterdam in a personal best of 2:06:11 and although his half marathon best is a relatively modest 1:02:17, that was run at altitude in Nairobi and if he is in that sort of form, he could also challenge the course record of 1:02:20, set by his compatriot Geoffrey Mutai in 2011 shortly after his famous win in the Boston Marathon in 2:03:02.
Tadese Tola, the 2013 world championships marathon bronze medallist, was second in Bogota 12 months ago and returns to the race but he has not run internationally since then and so his form is far from certain.
Another man familiar with the race is Kenya&rsquo;s Issac Macharia, who won three consecutive editions from 2007 to 2009, but has not been in the sort of form that took him to the hat-trick of victories for several years and his last international outing was when he failed to finished the Fukuoka Marathon last December.
<h3>Amador has podium ambitions</h3>
Local hopes look to rest on Miguel Amador, who set a 10,000m best of 28:33.58 when winning at the Mt SAC Relays in California in April and, given his familiarity with the terrain, he might have a chance of making the podium.
Last year&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s champion Stanley Biwott is not returning to defend his title in Bogota as he is part of the Kenyan team going to the Olympics.
Gobena was, perhaps, unlucky not to be selected to be part of the Ethiopian trio contesting the Rio women&rsquo;s marathon after her outstanding personal best of 2:21:51 when finishing second in the Tokyo Marathon in February and so will also be looking to prove a point on Sunday.
Having run 1:13:44 to win 12 months ago in the thin air of Bogota &ndash; the Colombian capital lies at around 2600 metres &ndash; she can draw upon that experience and use her knowledge of the course and conditions to go faster.
However, the course record of 1:10:29 set by Kenya&rsquo;s Susan Chepkemei in 2003 is a very good mark indeed and it will require a Herculean effort by Gobena, or anyone else, to get near it.
Gobena&rsquo;s main rival this year, at least on paper, looks to be another Kenyan, Purity Rionoripo.
The 2009 world U18 champion over 3000m is now a confirmed road runner and this year has already set personal bests over 15km and the marathon, the latter being 2:25:00 when finishing second in the Prague Marathon in May.
Kenya&rsquo;s Veronica Nyaruai, another former world U18 3000m champion of a slightly earlier vintage, in this case 2005, is also in the field while Eritra&rsquo;s Nazret Weldu, USA&rsquo;s Janet Cherobon-Bawcom and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Etaferahu Temesgen could also challenge for a place on the podium.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF

All eyes will be on Kenya’s marathon world record holder Dennis Kimetto and defending women’s champion Amane Gobena at the Bogota Half Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, but for contrasting reasons on Sunday (31).

Kimetto and Gobena have contrasting motivations ahead of the Bogota Half Marathon

Marathon world record holder Dennis Kimetto will be looking to resurrect his reputation at the Media Marat&oacute;n de Bogota, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday 31 July.
The Kenyan famously became the first man to run under 2:03:00 for the classic distance when he ran was is still the world record of 2:02:57 at the 2014 Berlin Marathon.
However, it has been a torrid 12 months for Kimetto since failing to finish the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 marathon.
He also failed to finish at the Fukuoka Marathon last December and has had several other very modest performances.
His last competitive outing was finishing 11th at this year&rsquo;s London Marathon in April, in 2:11:44.
It will be Kimetto&rsquo;s first ever race in South America and he will looking to continue the Kenyan winning streak in the Colombian capital, which stretches back to 2011 when Kimetto&rsquo;s friend and training partner Geoffrey Mutai won in what remains the course record of 1:02:20.
Bogota&rsquo;s altitude of 2600 metres inhibits fast times but that will not be a problem for Kimetto, who hails from the Kenyan city of Eldoret which is at around 2100 metres altitude. The surrounding hills, where Kimetto regularly trains, go up to 2700 metres.
Phil Minshull and organisers for the IAAF

Marathon world record holder Dennis Kimetto will be looking to resurrect his reputation at the Media Maraton de Bogota, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday 31 July.

Kimetto the first big name for this year's Media Maraton de Bogota

Last year's Virgin Money London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will take on 2014 champion Wilson Kipsang when the two Kenyans face each other in this year&rsquo;s IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday 24 April, organisers announced on Tuesday (19).Kipchoge beat two-time champion Kipsang by just five seconds in a thrilling sprint finish at the end of last year&rsquo;s 35th race, with fellow Kenyan and world record-holder Dennis Kimetto left trailing in their wake in third place.Kipchoge&rsquo;s winning time of 2:04:42 was just outside Kipsang&rsquo;s course record of 2:04:29 set in 2014. The 2003 world 5000m champion went on to win the Berlin Marathon last September in a personal best of 2:04:00.He is now sixth on the world all-time list for the distance behind Kimetto&rsquo;s historic best of 2:02:57 and Kipsang&rsquo;s former world record of 2:03:23.Kimetto also returns to London in 2016 hoping to improve on his third place last year. Stanley Biwott is the fourth outstanding Kenyan in the field, running in London for the fourth time after finishing fourth last year, second in 2014 and eighth in 2013. Biwott should be full of confidence after an impressive victory at the 2015 TCS New York City Marathon.With Rio 2016 Olympic places to be won, there will be even more at stake for the Kenyan runners in 2016 when the quartet toe the London start line again in pursuit of one of world running&rsquo;s most prestigious prizes. &ldquo;It was fantastic to win the Virgin Money London Marathon last year against one of the greatest fields ever assembled in marathon running,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;This year I will come back to London to compete again with the world's best athletes," he added. "I will work hard to defend my title in London and, together with Wilson, Dennis, Stanley and those from other countries, make it a fast and wonderful race. I want to thank the organisation for again bringing the best athletes in marathon running together in London, it's great for our sport."Kipchoge&rsquo;s superb record of five wins and one second place from six marathon starts since 2013 will make him the marginal favourite. But the elite men&rsquo;s field contains the top five finishers from 2015, five men who have run the 26.2-mile distance faster than 2:05:00, and 16 who have finished quicker than 2:10:00.<h3>Kipsang and Kimetto have something to prove</h3>Biwott, Kimetto and Kipsang are likely to be the reigning champion&rsquo;s 
main challengers, with the latter two looking to make amends after 
dropping out of the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 marathon last 
August. Kipsang has always shown great form in London with victories in 2012 and 2014, but he was unable to retain his New York title in November when he finished fourth.Kimetto will also feel he has something to prove. He also dropped out in the early stages of December&rsquo;s Fukuoka Marathon and hasn&rsquo;t won a race since his world record victory in Berlin in 2014.However, the Kenyans will be challenged by runners from neighbouring east African countries, not least Ethiopia&rsquo;s triple Olympic gold medallist and multi-world-record breaking track champion, Kenenisa Bekele, and Eritrea&rsquo;s teenage hero from the 2015 World Championships, Ghirmay Ghebreslassie.The 33-year-old Bekele moved up to take on the ultimate distance challenge in 2014 when he won the Paris Marathon in 2:05:04 before finishing fourth in Chicago that October. Injury kept him out of action in 2015, and he will be keen to make his mark on a long-awaited return to the roads against one of the toughest fields he&rsquo;s ever faced.Ethiopia&rsquo;s talented quartet also includes Tilahun Regassa, who was fifth in London last year, 2015 Tokyo Marathon champion Endeshaw Negesse, plus last year&rsquo;s Rotterdam champion Abera Kuma, all men who have run quicker than 2:06:00.Ghebreslassie, who became the surprise world champion in Beijing, makes his first appearance in London alongside four compatriots: former Eritrean record-holder Samuel Tsegay, Ghebrezgiabhier Kibrom, who finished eighth last year, Amanuel Mesel, who was ninth in Beijing, and Tewelde Estifanos, last year&rsquo;s champion at the Oita Marathon in Japan.Ukraine&rsquo;s nine-time European cross-country champion Serhiy Lebid is the top European in the line-up. He finished 10th last year. Arne Gabius also earns a place following his German record when finishing fourth in Frankfurt last October, while Poland&rsquo;s former steeplechaser Marcin Chabowski and Lebid's compatriot Vitaliy Shafar could also be top-10 contenders.No fewer than 13 Britons will be on the elite Blue Start with hopes of securing a place on Team GB&rsquo;s Rio-bound Olympic plane.Londoner Scott Overall and Scot Callum Hawkins have already beaten the Olympic qualifying time of 2:14 with confident autumn runs in Berlin and Frankfurt respectively. They just need to be among the first two Britons across the line to guarantee a ticket to South America.Among those hoping to join them are Chris Thompson, the 2010 European 10,000m silver medallist who was 11th on his marathon debut two years ago, and Derek Hawkins. Organisers for the IAAF<h3>Elite men's field (and personal bests):</h3>Dennis Kimetto (KEN) 2:02:57 Wilson Kipsang (KEN) 2:03:23 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:04:00 Endeshaw Negesse (ETH) 2:04:52 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:04:55 Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) 2:05:04 Tilahun Regassa (ETH) 2:05:27 Abera Kuma (ETH) 2:05:56 Samuel Tsegay (ERI) 2:07:28 Ghirmay Ghebreslassie (ERI) 2:07:47 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:08:17 Serhiy Lebid (UKR) 2:08:32 Arne Gabius (GER) 2:08:33 Tewelde Estifanos (ERI) 2:09:16 Ghebrezgiabhier Kibrom (ERI) 2:09:36 Vitaliy Shafar (UKR) 2:09:58 Marcin Chabowski (POL) 2:10:07 Scott Overall (GBR) 2:10:55 Chris Thompson (GBR) 2:11:14 Yuki Sato (JPN) 2:12:12 Callum Hawkins (GBR) 2:12:17 Nordstad Moen (NOR) 2:12:54 Lee Merrien (GBR) 2:13:41 Derek Hawkins (GBR) 2:14:04 Shawn Forrest (AUS) 2:14:37 Kevin Seaward (IRL) 2:14:52 Phil Wicks (GBR) 2:15:37 Paul Pollock (IRL) 2:15:38 Ben Moreau (GBR) 2:15:52 Ian Kimpton (GBR) 2:15:55 Matthew Hynes (GBR) 2:16:00 John Beattie (GBR) 2:16:38 Andrew Davies (GBR) 2:16:55 Stephen Scullion (IRL) 2:34:33 Bedan Karoki (KEN) debut Gervais Hakizimana (RWA) debut Jonathan Hay (GBR) debut Ryan McLeod (GBR) debut Alejandro Fernandez Martin (ESP) debut

Last year's Virgin Money London Marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge will take on 2014 champion Wilson Kipsang when the two Kenyans face each other in this year’s IAAF Gold Label Road Race on Sunday 24 April, organisers announced on Tuesday (19).

Defending champion Kipchoge heads outstanding men's field for London Marathon

World record-holder Dennis Kimetto will be looking to bounce back at the 69th annual Fukuoka International Marathon on Sunday (6), an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, after his disappointing failure to finish at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 in August."It has been tough for me," the Kenyan runner told local reporters in Nairobi prior to his departure for Japan on Wednesday. "I did well in training, but the body did not respond well when called upon. I am still devastated for not finishing the race in Beijing, but I have since done my homework and hope to return stronger in Fukuoka."There are two races left to be used to consider the participation in Rio but that is beside the point. The Olympics will fall in place only if I do my work in winning in Fukuoka; that is my target," he said."I want to go to the Olympics but that is not the concern at the moment. Winning Fukuoka is my priority and a faster time of under two hours and five minutes is my target."If Kimetto &ndash; who ran the world record of 2:02:57 at the Berlin Marathon last year &ndash; achieves his ambition then he could break the course record in Fukuoka, which currently stands to Ethiopia&rsquo;s Tsegaye Kebede who ran 2:05:18 in 2009.Another three runners also have faster personal bests than the course record, including Patrick Makau, the defending champion and former world record-holder.However, although the Kenyan won last year&rsquo;s race, the winning time was a relatively modest 2:08:22 and Makau has not run faster since the 2012 Frankfurt Marathon, which he won with a time of 2:06:08.&nbsp; Getu Feleke is a generally a consistent, if rather sparing, marathon runner. Except for his debut at the 2009 Vienna Marathon and later in the London 2012 Olympic Games marathon, where he dropped out, the Ethiopian has always cracked 2:10. His personal best stands at 2:04:50 from when he finished second at the 2012 Rotterdam Marathon and in the past four marathons where he has finished, he has always come home either first or second with a time faster than 2:07.<h3>Koech also needs to be considered</h3>Kenya&rsquo;s Bernard Koech, like Feleke, is also a consistent marathon runner with a best of 2:04:53 from his debut over the classic distance at the 2013 Dubai Marathon. Except for the 2013 World Championships, where he dropped out, Koech has always run faster than 2:08:30 in all of his completed marathons.&nbsp; Martin Mathathi, a two-time World Championships bronze medalist, once at cross country and once on the track, won the 2013 Fukuoka Marathon and will also be on the start line.The Kenyan has run three marathons in his career, all in Fukuoka. After failing to finish the race on his debut three years ago, Mathathi won two years ago with 2:07:16. But last year, Mathathi was a disappointing 21st with 2:17:23 so the question is which version of Mathathi will turn up in Fukuoka this year.Samuel Tsegay Tesfamariam finished second at the 2014 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and he may be on the verge of dramatically improving his personal best of 2:07:28. Another good Eritrean in the field is Amanuel Mesel, who has a best of 2:08:17.In addition to dueling for a place on the podium, both men could also challenge their national record of 2:07:27, set by Yared Asmeron at the 2011 Chunchon Marathon. Among the other invited runners from overseas are Ukraine&rsquo;s Serhiy Lebid who has a best of 2:08:32, Mongolia&rsquo;s Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (best of 2:08:50) and Zimbabwe&rsquo;s Cuthbert Nyasango (2:09:52).The race also doubles as one of the qualifying races to select the Japanese marathon team for the Rio 2016 Olympics Games but Yuki Kawauchi is the only Japanese invited runner with a sub-2:10 personal best. Satoru Sasaki (best of 2:09:47) and Masashi Hayashi (2:09:55) are also in the field but not as invited runners.Ken Nakamura for the IAAF

World record-holder Dennis Kimetto will be looking to bounce back at the 69th annual Fukuoka International Marathon on Sunday (6), an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, after his disappointing failure to finish at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 in August.

Kimetto hopes to bounce back in Fukuoka after Beijing disappointment

World record-holder Dennis Kimetto and defending champion Patrick Makau are among the top athletes set to compete at the Fukuoka Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 6 December.It will be Kimetto&rsquo;s first marathon since withdrawing from the IAAF World Championships in Beijing two months ago. The Kenyan, who last year set a world record of 2:02:57 in Berlin, will be keen to end his year on a high, having finished third at the London Marathon earlier this year.Makau &ndash; who set a then world record of 2:03:38 in 2011 &ndash; has not competed at all in 2015. His most recent race was last year&rsquo;s Fukuoka Marathon, which he won in 2:08:22, and he will be bidding to become the first back-to-back winner in the Japanese city since Tsegaye Kebede in 2009.Japan-based Kenyans Martin Mathathi and Joseph Gitau are also former Fukuoka winners. 2007 world 10,000m bronze medallist Mathathi will return to the scene of his 2013 victory when he won in 2:07:16 on his debut at the distance. Gitau also set his PB when winning in Fukuoka, clocking 2:06:58 in 2012.Other Kenyans in the field include 2:04:53 man Bernard Koech and Benjamin Ngadu.Getu Feleke is the sole elite Ethiopian entrant. The former Amsterdam and Vienna winner set his PB of 2:04:50 in 2012 when finishing second in Rotterdam. This will be the 28-year-old&rsquo;s first race in Japan.World half marathon silver medallist Samuel Tsegay is one of two strong Eritrean athletes in the field. The 2:07:28 runner will be joined by compatriot Amanuel Mesel, who finished ninth in the marathon at this year&rsquo;s World Championships.Following an eighth-place finish in 2012, Zimbabwean record-holder Cuthbert Nyasango returns to Fukuoka.Nine-time European cross-country champion Serhiy Lebid will be competing in Fukuoka for the first time. Despite turning 40 in July, he clocked a respectable 2:10:21 at this year&rsquo;s London Marathon and set a PB of 2:08:32 last year. His sole marathon victory to date, his 2014 Nagano win, came on Japanese soil.Other internationals in the field include Mongolian record-holder Ser-Od Bat-Ochir, who finished third in Fukuoka last year, Brazil&rsquo;s Paulo Paula, a top-10 finisher at the 2012 Olympics and 2013 World Championships, and Canadian Olympian Dylan Wykes.Prolific racer Yuki Kawauchi leads the Japanese entries. The 28-year-old has contested the Fukuoka Marathon on five previous occasions, his best result being a third-place finish in 2013 in 2:09:05.<h3>Elite field (with PBs)</h3>Dennis Kimetto (KEN) 2:02:57 Patrick Makau (KEN) 2:03:38 Getu Feleke (ETH) 2:04:50 Bernard Koech (KEN) 2:04:53 Joseph Gitau (KEN) 2:06:58 Martin Mathathi (KEN) 2:07:16 Samuel Tsegay (ERI) 2:07:28 Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) 2:08:14 Amanuel Mesel (ERI) 2:08:17 Serhiy Lebid (UKR) 2:08:32 Ser-od Bat-Ochir (MGL) 2:08:50 Koji Kobayashi (JPN) 2:08:51 Benjamin Ngadu Gandu (KEN) 2:09:18 Cuthbert Nyasango (ZIM) 2:09:52 Chiharu Takada (JPN) 2:10:03 Paulo Roberto Paula (BRA) 2:10:23 Hiroki Kadota (JPN) 2:10:46 Dylan Wykes (CAN) 2:10:47 Kazuki Tomaru (JPN) 2:11:25 Yoshiki Otsuka (JPN) 2:11:40

World record-holder Dennis Kimetto and defending champion Patrick Makau are among the top athletes set to compete at the Fukuoka Marathon, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on 6 December.

Kimetto and Makau lead Fukuoka Marathon entries

Kenya&rsquo;s Dennis Kimetto, the fastest marathon runner in history, is heading to Glasgow to compete in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday 4 October.Kimetto became the quickest marathon runner of all time when he won the Berlin Marathon 12 months ago in a world record of 2:02:57.In doing so, the 31-year-old sliced 26 seconds off the previous world record time, also set in Berlin in 2013 by his compatriot Wilson Kipsang.Kimetto has a half marathon best of 59:14, set in Berlin in 2012.He will be seeking to put Kenya back on top of the podium in Glasgow following victories in 2013 by Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie and then in 2014 by South Africa&rsquo;s Stephen Mokoka.Kimetto will also be looking to bounce back to form after failing to finish the marathon at the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 last month.He was a farmer before he became a full-time runner and gives much of his hard-earned money back to the community to build churches and schools, and to fund young athletes.&ldquo;I help young athletes who are at the start of their running career, because they are like I also used to be in the past and I know how important it is to be helped at the start,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;In the future they are the world record-holders and champions, so I find it important to help them.&rdquo;Organisers for the IAAF

Kenya’s Dennis Kimetto, the fastest marathon runner in history, is heading to Glasgow to compete in the Bank of Scotland Great Scottish Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, on Sunday 4 October.

Kimetto heading to Glasgow for Great Scottish Run

Only once in the history of the IAAF World Championships has the world record-holder won the men's marathon: 1983, when Rob de Castella ran 2:10:03 for the victory, nearly two minutes slower than his 2:08:18 world mark from Fukuoka in 1981.Dennis Kimetto would like to double that number here in Beijing on Saturday morning, and comes to the line with some confidence that he can do it.Kimetto has little to no record in championship marathons, having arrived as a top-flight international runner in 2012 when he broke the 25km world record in May that year and then finished immediately behind training partner Geoffrey Mutai at that year's Berlin Marathon, his 2:04:16 being the fifth-fastest ever at the time.He followed up with course records at the Tokyo and Chicago marathons in 2013 before running 2:02:57 in Berlin last autumn to set the current world record and become the first man ever to run faster than 2:03.Discovered in 2008 by Mutai &ndash; who went on to record an eye-popping 2:03:02 at the 2011 Boston Marathon &ndash; Kimetto attributed his records to patient development and dedication over six years. The timing of his rise to marathon prominence, however, means that his appearance on the starting line in Beijing will be his first championship marathon; his previous races have largely been big-city races with time bonuses and dedicated pacemakers.Kimetto appeared unconcerned by the differences in tactics usually seen between championship races and paced city marathons. "I feel suited to championship races," he explained when meeting the press in Beijing on Thursday (20).Kimetto deferred most questions to Wilson Kipsang, the man whose record he broke last year, and he has frequently used Kipsang as an interpreter, preferring Swahili to English.When Mutai invited Kimetto to join his training group, Kimetto was farming to support his family, and running in hope of finding an opportunity to improve his income. He cites his humble beginnings as his motivation, saying his desire to provide for his family drives him to pursue his best results.His previous marathon outing in 2015 was somewhat short of the lofty standard he set in Berlin last year, finishing third in London behind Eliud Kipchoge and Kipsang where his countrymen left him behind in the closing kilometres.He wouldn't commit to an ordering, but Kimetto agreed that it was possible for Kenya's trio of himself, Kipsang, and Mark Korir to sweep all three medals here in Beijing &ndash; the only result that could possibly better the gold-silver performances from 2009 and 2011. While apparently unconcerned about the air conditions in Beijing, Kimetto did concede that anticipation of heat and humidity played a role in his preparations. The forecast for Saturday morning includes temperatures in the low 20s at the start of the marathon, approaching 30C by the end, making Abel Kirui's 2:06:54 championship record from 2009 appear safe for another two years.Kimetto's reticence about his predictions for the race might also belie a secondary goal for the championships. For a marathon runner unfamiliar with championship racing, even a silver or bronze finish at the World Championships, particularly in conditions not well-suited for fast marathons, might be a valuable experience in 2016, when the championship marathon will be the Olympics.Parker Morse for the IAAF

Only once in the history of the IAAF World Championships has the world record-holder won the men's marathon: 1983, when Rob de Castella ran 2:10:03 for the victory, nearly two minutes slower than his 2:08:18 world mark from Fukuoka in 1981.

Kimetto feels ready for debut championship marathon 

Eliud Kipchoge won a thrilling battle with his fellow Kenyan Wilson Kipsang over the final kilometres of the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon but prevailed to win the IAAF Gold Label Road Race by five seconds in 2:04:42 on Sunday (26).The 2003 world 5000m champion, who has made a successful switch to the roads in recent years, started to edge away from the two-time London winner Kipsang with two kilometres to go before kicking again over the final 800 metres.He had built up a big enough lead to allow him to celebrate as he came down The Mall, pointing to the crowds lining the roads and clenching his fist in triumph before adding the London title to the marathons in Rotterdam and Chicago he won last year."It was a tough race," said Kipchoge. "My training paid off and it went to plan. The crowd were wonderful and lifted me for my sprint finish."Both Kipchoge and Kipsang confirmed on British television that they would run at the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 this summer if selected by the Kenyan federation.World record-holder Dennis Kimetto was unable to stay with the leading pair shortly after 35km and started to drift back but finished third in 2:05:50 to complete an all-Kenyan men&rsquo;s podium.Kipchoge looked comfortable throughout a race that started with a 4:39 mile and stayed on course record schedule until the final stages.Billed as the &lsquo;Clash of the Champions&rsquo;, it featured the greatest men&rsquo;s field ever assembled, with five of the world&rsquo;s all-time top 10 and eight men who have run faster than 2:05. The early leading group featured seven top Kenyan runners &ndash; Kipchoge, Kipsang, Kimetto, Stanley Biwott, Geoffrey Mutai, Emmanuel Mutai and Samuel Kitwara &ndash; along with the Ethiopians Tsegaye Mekonnen and Tilahun Regassa, and Eritrea&rsquo;s Samuel Tsegay.The men made the most of a downhill section of the course in the first few miles to go through 5km in 14:31 but the pace then settled, the 10 east Africans going through 10km in 29:14, cheered by amazing crowds as they passed the famous London landmark of the Cutty Sark in the suburb of Greenwich. <h3>Mutai the first victim </h3> Biwott, runner-up in last year&rsquo;s race, led the group through 15km in 44:04, and Geoffrey Mutai was the first victim of the quick pace, slipping back as they headed across Tower Bridge and past the 20km point. The 2011 New York Marathon champion drifted off the back of the group before dropping out just after the leaders passed half way in 1:02:20. Kipsang made his first move 30 kilometres into the race and there was nothing to choose between six men, who spread out across the road in a single line, matching each other stride for stride.Kitwara then fell off the pace once they passed the 35km point, covered in 1:44:02, to reduce the leading group to five, who headed along The Highway in Wapping towards the finish. A couple of slower miles, with thoughts in most of the runners&rsquo; minds turning to victory rather than a course record, put that statistic out of reach; an acceleration by Kipchoge then ended Regassa&rsquo;s hopes, meaning four men were left to battle for three medals.Kipsang and Kipchoge made their move as they dipped out of sight beneath an underpass, emerging with a 20-metre lead over Biwott and Kimetto that gradually grew along the Embankment. Kipchoge made a move at the 40km drinks station but could only get a stride ahead before Kipsang was back alongside. In 2013, Kipchoge had finished runner-up to Kipsang at the Berlin Marathon but this time he was the stronger man and sprinted home in front.<h3>Tufa surprise triumph </h3> Ethiopia's Tigist Tufa, just the ninth fastest in the field prior to the race, ended Kenya's four-year domination of the women's race with surprise victory in 2:23:22.Nine women were still together at 35km but after a surge by her compatriot Tirfi Tsegaye, which only Tufa followed, the latter then pulled clear over the final five kilometres for the biggest win &ndash; both financially and in terms of prestige &ndash; of her career.At 40km, Tufa had an 11-second lead over her nearest rivals, Tsegaye and Kenya&rsquo;s Mary Keitany, who had come through to get up on the shoulder of Tsegaye.Tufa added to her advantage over the final two kilometres as she finished 18 seconds clear of Keitany, who was second in 2:23:40, while Tsegaye was third in 2:23:41.Tufa became the first Ethiopian women's champion since Derartu Tulu in 2001. &ldquo;I knew Derartu had won here in the past, and I was planning to follow her and win as well,&rdquo; said the 28-year-old. &ldquo;This is a very, very big race and a great place to run.&ldquo;The last four years I have worked hard to be here and to be in the top three, so I am very grateful to have won today. &ldquo;I am very, very happy because I beat the world&rsquo;s top athletes," added Tufa. "I was working to get a good time, but it was not about fast times today, and I saved myself to try very hard from the last 5k."Last year&rsquo;s winner, Edna Kiplagat, never featured at the head of the race and the two-time world champion eventually finished 11th in 2:27:16.Much of the pre-race attention about the women&rsquo;s race, at least in the British domestic media, had centred on 2005 world champion and IAAF ambassador Paula Radcliffe having her last competitive race.The 41-year-old returned to the scene of her greatest triumph &ndash; her staggering world record of 2:15:25 set on the streets of the British capital in 2003 has remained unchallenged since then &ndash; and got some of the loudest cheers of the day as she crossed the line in 2:36:55."When I got into the last couple of miles, I thought, 'I really have to savour this and enjoy it as much as possible and thank as many people as possible'," said Radcliffe, who was presented with the inaugural John Disley Lifetime Achievement award after the race."There were so many people out there on the route. It did get really emotional on Birdcage Walk because as much as my body wanted it to finish, I didn't ever want it to end," she added. "It was so moving and I think I lost it for a little bit and managed to get it back together for the finish."More than 37,500 finished the 26.2-mile journey from Blackheath to Westminster, making the 35th edition of the race the biggest in its history by almost 1000 runners. Matthew Brown for the IAAF

Eliud Kipchoge won a thrilling battle with his fellow Kenyan Wilson Kipsang over the final kilometres of the 2015 Virgin Money London Marathon but prevailed to win the IAAF Gold Label Road Race by five seconds in 2:04:42 on Sunday (26). 