Deena Kastor, Felix Limo Win London Marathon

By KRYSTYNA RUDZKI

LONDON – Deena Kastor broke her own American record to win the London Marathon on Sunday, while Felix Limo out-sprinted defending champion Martin Lel to take the men’s race.

Kastor timed 2 hours, 19 minutes, 35 seconds to beat second-placed Lyudmila Petrova of Russia and third-placed Susan Chepkemei of Kenya in cool, drizzly conditions in the British capital.

The 33-year-old Kastor is only the eighth woman to run under 2:20.

“It was one of my expectations as my training has been going so well,” Kastor said. “I did want to run faster but I wasn’t feeling it early on. I managed to hold on to go under 2:20 which was my main goal.”

In the men’s race, Limo and Lel ran side by side for the final 1.2 miles before Limo made a break with the finishing line in sight. Limo finished in 2:06:39.

“I had to use my brain to win that race,” Limo said. “I felt good although the conditions were not great. But when the conditions are not perfect, you have to use your brain as well as your legs.”

Lel was runner-up, two seconds back, while Hendrick Ramaala of South Africa was third in 2:06:55.

London was Kastor’s second marathon win. She won last year’s Chicago Marathon and was third at the 2004 Athens Olympics.

Kastor and Kenyans Susan Chepkemei and Salina Kosgei broke away within the first 1.8 miles, along with two male pacemakers.

The three had opened a 17-second gap after five kilometers and extended it to 36 seconds after 6.2 miles. Kosgei dropped out from the leading pack an hour into the race.

Kastor broke away after 15.5 miles, taking the two pacemakers with her, and was not challenged for the rest of the race.

She ran 2:21:16 – the previous American record – to finish third in her only other London Marathon in 2003.

Chepkemei was caught by Lyudmila Petrova in the final miles. Petrova finished in 2:21:29 and Chepkemei was third in 2:21:46.

In the men’s race, Haile Gebrselassie, Limo, Khalid Khannouchi, Lel, Ramaala, Evans Rutto and Rogers Rop were in the main bunch for most of the race.

Lel, Limo, Rop and Ramaala made a break at 23.6 miles. At the 24.8-mile mark, Lel and Limo were running alone in the lead to set up the sprint finish.

Limo, 25, won the Berlin and Rotterdam marathons in 2004 and last year’s Chicago Marathon. This was his first London Marathon.

The men’s and women’s record holders – Paul Tergat and Paula Radcliffe – did not run because of injury.