Athletics: Tulu wins the women's London Marathon
Derartu Tulu, twice winner of the Olympic 10,000 metres, emerged triumphant in a nail-biting finish to the women’s Flora London Marathon.
Proving in her fifth marathon she has finally made the transition to the longer distance, the 29-year-old Ethiopian sixth 12 months ago crossed the finishing line in a personal best but unofficial time of two hours 23 minutes 56 seconds.
Tulu, three-times World Cross-Country champion, was six seconds ahead of Russia’s Svetlana Zakharova with third place going to Olympic bronze medallist Joyce Chepchumba of Kenya who clocked two hours 24 minutes 11 seconds.
But despite Tulu’s victory, the hearts of the thousands of spectators lining the 26 miles 382 yards route from Greenwich to The Mall, went out to last year’s women’s winner, Tegla Loroupe.
The race looked over for the tiny Kenyan when after three miles she came to a halt. But the 27-year-old world record holder, after doing stretching exercises for a hamstring problem which lost her a vital minute, resumed the race.
