European 10,000m champion Lonah Chemtai Salpeter contributed to the deepest women’s marathon race in history at the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday (3).
In a race won by Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei in 2:17:43, a record five women broke the 2:19-barrier with Salpeter finishing a very creditable fifth in 2:18:54 less than two months after representing Israel in the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics.
Chemtai Salpeter’s time was the fifth fastest in history by a European behind Paula Radcliffe’s former world records of 2:15:25, 2:17:18 and 2:17:42 and Chemtai Salpeter’s winning time of 2:17:45 from the Tokyo Marathon last year.
Charlotte Purdue was omitted from the British team for the Tokyo Olympics but the multiple European cross country medallist finished her season on a positive note by finishing tenth in 2:23:26 to reclaim her position at third on the British all-time list.
Purdue was paced by European 5000m silver medallist Eilish McColgan through halfway in 71:44 and she covered the second half in an almost identical split of 71:42.
In the men’s race, junior doctor Phil Sesemann, who represented Great Britain in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships in Torun, stepped up in distance to finish seventh on his debut in 2:12:58.
Ethiopia’s Sesay Lemma took the victory in 2:04:01.
Kbrom breaks Ingebrigtsen’s Norwegian 10km record in Valencia
Jakob Ingebrigtsen lost one of his many Norwegian records yesterday morning to Zerei Kbrom at the 10K Valencia Ibercaja.
Kbrom took the victory in 27:39 to smash Ingebrigtsen’s previous national record of 27:54 and move to second on the European all-time list behind Switzerland’s Julien Wanders who set the European record of 27:13 in this race last year.
Behind Kenya’s Margaret Kipkemboi who clocked the fourth fastest time in history with 29:50 for victory, Sweden’s Sarah Lahti was the top European finisher in sixth in a national record of 31:26. European U23 10,000m champion Jasmijn Lau was eighth in 31:53.
But the fastest time by a European this weekend was set by Germany’s Alina Reh who eclipsed her lifetime best with 31:21* at the LiquiMoly City Run in Ulm. Reh’s time was the second fastest by a European this year behind Eilish McColgan’s 30:52 in the Great Manchester Run.
There was another national 10km record in Geneva as Italy’s Pietro Riva finished fourth in 28:06 to shave two seconds off the previous mark held jointly by Daniele Meucci and Eyob Faniel.
*The course was later discovered to be around 200 metres short so Reh's time won't be counted as a lifetime best