LONDON: Stephen Kiprotich rounded a corner late in the race and simply took off. A surprise surge from a surprise winner.
So swift and unexpected was his move that the runner from Uganda turned the last mile into a victory lap as he easily captured the Olympic marathon on Sunday, along with the first medal for his country at the London Games.
Kiprotich finished in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 1 second, holding off the Kenyan duo of Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang. Kirui finished 26 seconds behind Kiprotich, while Kipsang, the leader much of the race, faded late but held on for bronze.
On an extremely warm afternoon, the marathoners wound their way through a scenic route packed with swarms of fans. Kiprotich had such a big lead near the finish that he grabbed a flag from the stands and wore it on his way to the finish.
After finishing, he dropped to his knees, bowed and then raised his hands high over his head.
Kipsang – who was listed by his full name of Wilson Kiprotich Kipsang for the race – was seemingly in control early in the day. He was out front and running all alone, before fading back to the pack. Kirui caught up with him while Kiprotich followed just behind.
At the 23-mile mark, Kiprotich turned the corner and was gone. No one could catch him as he won only the third medal ever for Uganda in track and field and the first since 1996.
Kiprotich sure had plenty of crowd support. Spectators lined the course 10 rows deep in some sections, waving signs and ringing cowbells.
The runners took in the sights, breezing past Big Ben, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, London Bridge and the Tower of London before finishing near Buckingham Palace.
Yadav finishes 78th
Ram Singh Yadav, India’s lone entrant in the marathon, failed to replicate the feat through which he qualified for the Olympics, as he finished a distant 78th out of 105 starters.
The 31-year-old Yadav, from the Army Sports Institute in Pune, clocked a slow 2 hours, 30 minutes and 19 seconds, a far cry from the best personal best time of 2:16.59 that he set in the Mumbai Marathon in January. (Agencies)