Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao captured the men’s title at the prestigious London Marathon on Sunday, further cementing Kenya’s prowess in distance running.
The 27-year-old Munyao clocked an unofficial time of 2 hours, 4 minutes, 1 second to win one of the world’s most prestigious marathons. He pulled away from Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele in the closing stages after the two runners waged a back-and-forth battle through the streets of London.
As they ran along the River Thames, Munyao made a decisive move, quickly opening up a six-second gap that only widened as he headed toward the finish in front of Buckingham Palace.
The 41-year-old Bekele, a former Olympic 10,000m and 5,000m champion, finished 14 seconds back as runner-up in 2:04:15. Britain’s Emile Cairess took third, over two minutes behind the winner.
Munyao’s victory continues an exceptional era for Kenyan distance running. He is one of five elite Kenyan marathoners selected to represent the nation at this summer’s Paris Olympics.
In the women’s race, Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir of Kenya cemented her status as the gold medal favorite for Paris. Jepchirchir pulled away late to win the London title.
With Munyao’s triumph, Kenyan stars have now won 6 of the last 7 London Marathon men’s titles, underscoring their nation’s premier status in the grueling 26.2-mile event.
The 2024 London Marathon was also marked by tributes to last year’s men’s winner, Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum. The 24-year-old world record holder tragically died in a road accident in Kenya in February. Before to the race started, participants applauded in honor of Kiptum, who won the 2023 edition in a blistering course record of 2:01:25.
Along with video salutes, the marathon honored Kiptum’s memory as Kenyan stars continued their nation’s dominance over the 26.2-mile distance in London.
