This is our live coverage of the 2011 Virgin London Marathon. We will do twitter updates each mile and will do 5k segments here! |
9 AM Sunday morning
The elite womens race is off. Iness Chenonge & Aniko Kalovics are the pacers for the 2:20-2:22 group. Included in that group are Lilya Shobukhovva, Irina Mikitenko, Mary Keitany, Inga Abitova, Edna Kiplagat, Aselefech Mergia, Bezunesh Bekele, Chunxiu Zhou, Aberu Kebede, Lornah Kiplagat, Marya Konolova, and Askale Tafa.
The women hit the mile in 5:21, two miles in 10:37 and three miles in 15:42, with 5k in 16:16.
That is a 2:17 pace, as Brendan Foster noted on TV, “the are running at the edge of their abilities.”
Five miles was hit in 26:18, with pack of twelve. Magdelena Lewy Boulet was 24 seconds behind lead pack, hitting 5k in 16:40, with UK’s Jo Pavey at 16:41 and Liz Yelling at 16:59.
Elite Women, 5 miles-10 miles
Lead pack of ten hit the six mile mark in 32:08, 10k in 32:54. Jo Pavey hit 10k in 33:48, just behind Magdelena Lewy Boulet. Liz Yelling hit 10k in 34:49.
The mile between mile six and seven was run in 5:02! The elite women hit the seven mile mark in 37:10. That is 2:17.30 pace, which, for all but Liliya Shobukhova, is suicide.
Magdelena Lewy Boulet and Jo Pavey seem to be running together, and they are about 40 seconds back, which is smarter than the tough pace of the leaders.
In speaking to Magda Lewy Boulet’s coach, Jack Daniels, on Thursday (watch for interview of Jack this coming week, from the Saucony: Step into Minimalism night), Daniels say she is in 2:24 pace.
Eight women in the second pack, running 2:25-2:26 pace, including six Japanese women marathoners, who were to run Nagoya, until it was
canceled due to the earthquake in Japan last month. This second pack hit 10k in 33:24. Note that Lewy Boulet and Pavey are sixteen seconds back!
Men are Off!
It is 9:45 AM local time in London and the men’s race has just gone off! We will be tracking the men as well now!
Just an aside, met with some of the adidas folks this weekend, who sponsor both Virgin London and BAA Boston. Talk about an insane weekend. Men hit mile in 4:50, pace of 2:04 for lead men. 4:45 for mile two for the men (2:04 pace), or 9:35 for two miles. Can see Gharib and Kebede as the lead pack of men start to fly….. men run 4:30 for third mile, hitting three miles in 14:05, with 5k in 14:34. Gharib and Kebede are seen right behind pacemakers.
Women, seven miles to 10 miles
Elite women pack is at nine, with the pacemakers still there. Edna Kiplagat looks quite good as well! Nine miles hit in 48:01, a 5:32 mile, split for third 5 kilometer was 16:56, 49:50 was split at 15k. The women are now running 2:20 pace-ten women in lead pack.
Irina Mikitenko was 50:29 for 15k, with Pavey at 51:04 (Magda Lewy Boulet nearby).
Women hit ten miles in 53:33, with a 5:32 tenth mile and a 2:20 pace-the lead pack has settled down.
Women, Miles 10-15
Liliya Shobukhova is controlling the women’s lead pack. She looks tough and totally relaxed. Twelve miles hit in 64:35, 20k in 67:01, with that fourth 5k in 17:10.
Pacesetter Iness Chenonge leaves course, Shobukhova in control, with a 5:28 mile for mile 13, and halfway hit in 1:10.38.
Note Euro Champ Jessica Augusto hit 20k in 67:42.
Mile 14 hit in 1:15.12, with that mile in 5:13. Note that Mary Keitany is pushing pace, with Liliya Shobukhova.
Jessica Augusto hit half way in 1:11.20.
Mary Keitany has surged twice, Shobukhova takes lead again. Keitany has taken strong surge. Keitany has lead, fifteen miles in 1:20.25, with Keitany having run 5:14 for that mile!
Magdelena Lewy Boulet and Jo Pavey running together, behind second pack. Pavey hit half in 1:12.48.
Mary Keitany hit 25k in 1:23.11, and 16 miles in 1:25.25, she is building on lead. Shobukhova running with Bekele, looks back, 20 seconds.
Jo Pavey and Magda Lewy Boulet at 1:26:05 for 25k.
Mary Keitany busting open race in 5:08 mile, hitting 17 in 1:28.19. Keitany is run 2:19.40 pace, and she has the lead.
Men, Miles 3-10
Men’s lead hit four miles in 18:40, with a 4.37 mile. Next to Jaouad Gharib is Mo Trafeh of U.S., in his debut. Martin Lel, Gharib, Mutai and Mexico’s Arturo Regules.
Men hit five miles in 23:31, mile of 4:49, pace of 2:03.19. Fourteen men in lead pack. Shadrack Kosgei, Jaouad Gharib, Arturo Regules, Tsegaye Kebede, Patrick Makau, Marlison Dos Santos, Emmanuel Mutai, and Mo Trafeh in lead pack.
Six miles hit in 28:27, 10k in 29:25, so pace is 2:03!
Mile seven hit in 33:13 for the men, that last mile in 4:50, a 2:04.25 pace.1
Men hit 15k in 44:27 (last 5k in 15.04). Men hit 10 miles in 47:42!
Women, Miles 15-20
Mary Keitany is running smooth, and she hits miles sixteen in 1:28.11 and miles 17 in 1:34.32. By 18 miles, she has lead of 28 seconds over Liliya Shobukhova, who has caught leaders before, but can she catch Keitany? I am not sure.
Mary Keitany adds to her lead, hitting 30k in 1:39.11, mile 19 in 1:40.52, with a 33 second lead… 20 miles hit in 1:46.06.
Mary Keitany is winning this race, her lead at 20 miles is 55 seconds! Shobukhova and Kiplagat are in second and third.
Men, Miles 10-15
Mile eleven hit in 52:30, a 4:38 mile. 57:20 for twelve miles in men’s race.
For info, Patrick Smyth, running with Victor Rothlin, Euro Champ, hitting 15k in 45.05, about 39 seconds behind leaders.
Lead pack hit 20k in 59:29. The lead men hit thirteen miles in 1:02:03 and the half way point in 1:02:45!
Men, down to pack of nine, in 1:14.16 for 25k. Kebede, Mutai, in lead, last 5k in 14:37.
Women: 20 miles to finish
Mary Keitany, 2011 RAK Half marathon, photo by PhotoRun.net
Mary Keitany broke this race open just around 25k, and hit 30k in 1:39.11, 20 miles in 1:46.06, and 35k in 2:01.59. She has a lead of 1:09 now, over Liliya Shobukhova and Edna Kiplagat.
Mary Keitany just hit 24 miles in 2:07:15, with a mile of 5.14. She is relentless.
Keitany has just hit the 40k mark in 2:12.07, with a last 5k of 16:52. She hit 25 miles in 2:14.24.
Mary Keitany, who has run by herself for just about an hour now, is the 2011 Virgin London Marathon victor, running a superb time of 2:19:18!
Liliya Shobukhova takes second in 2:20.15 (PB/NR), with Edna Kiplagat in third in 2:20.44 PB.
Men, 15 miles to 20 miles
20 kilometers was hit in 59:29, and 25 kilometers hit in 1:14.16. The pack is at nin
e, with Shadrack Kosgei, Emmanuel Mutai, Tsegaye Kebede (last year’s winner), James Kwambai, Abel Kirui, Abderrahime Bouramdane, Patrick Makau, Jaouad Gharib and Marlison Gomes dos Santos.
Men hit the 18 mile mark in 1:26.20 and 30 kilometers in 1:29.22. 1:31.02 for nineteen miles. Last 5k (between 25-30k) was 15.06, pace is 2:05.37. Six men in elite group!
Emmanuel Mutai wants this race! Running 14:16 for 5k between 30 and 35 kilometers, hitting the 35k in 1:43.36, Mutai starts to fly. He drops a 4.29 mile in mile 19!
Men’s Race, Miles 20-finish
His second in NY in 2010 moved him up in the marathon food chain, but this is the biggest win of his career!
Emmanuel Mutai, after three 4th places, wins in 2:04.38! Martin Lel in second and Patrick Makau in third! 2:05.44 for the 2nd, 3rd!
Congrats to Emmanuel Mutai, who is the winner of 2011 Virgin London Marathon! Watch for our detailed coverage later tonight, as I must now rush to the Heathrow airport.
For complete results, please check on www.virginlondonmarathon.com.
Author
Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."
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