Jemima Sumgong and Eliud Kipchoge were victorious at the London Marathon today, with both recording impressive performances.

In the wheelchair races, Marcel Hug and Tatyana McFadden both battled to victory

Sumgong survives nasty fall to win

Sumgong, 31, impressed with her victory after falling at a water station.

The Kenyan, alongside the pre-race favorite, Mary Keitany, fell after being clipped at the 22 mile water station by Aselefech Mergia, with her head hitting the ground.

Sumgong was clearly in pain after the fall, though managed to re-join the leading group and a strong sprint down The Mall saw her take victory in a time of 02:59.00, five second ahead of defending champion Tigist Tufa in second. Florence Kiplagat came in third.

The victory today is a significant milestone for Sumgong, after runner-up finishes at the famous marathons in Boston, Chicago and New York.

Sumgong celebrates after the race (Getty/Alex Morton)
Sumgong celebrates after the race (Getty/Alex Morton)

Bittersweet victory for Kipchoge

Kipchoge, also 31, successfully defended his title from last year but was visibly disappointed as he narrowly missed out on breaking the world record.

The Kenyan was all on his own when coming down The Mall and was visibly slowing down and celebrating with the crowd, only to place his hand on his head in frustration as he realised he could have broken the record, finishing just seven seconds short with a winning time of 02:03.04.

Stanley Biwott, who was with Kipchoge up until the 24th mile, finished second with a time of 02:03.51 (making him the sixth fastest runner in history), whilst athletics legend Kenenisa Bekele showed some positive form as he recorded a time of 02:06.36 to finish third, despite struggling with injury in the past few months.

World record holder Dennis Kimetto disappointed, finishing outside of the top 10 in 11th place.

Kipchoge was successful in defending his title (Getty/WireImage/Karwai Tang)
Kipchoge was successful in defending his title (Getty/WireImage/Karwai Tang)

Hug and McFadden win again

It was a successful day for Hug and McFadden, with the Swiss star winning in London for the second time and the American recording a fourth consecutive victory.

Hug triumphed in 01:35.19, sprinting down The Mall to beat both Kurt Fearnley, who finished in second, and David Weir, who was looking for a seventh London Marathon title.

McFadden was pushed more than she had ever been before, with her winning time of 1:44.14 just one second ahead of second placed Manuela Schar. Japanese athlete Wakako Tsuchida came in third place.

The victories for both Hug and McFadden are remarkable, considering they both won the wheelchair races at the Boston Marathon just a few days ago.

McFadden in action during the tight race (Getty/Dan Mullan)
McFadden in action during the tight race (Getty/Dan Mullan)

Historic year for the event

The London Marathon is one of the most popular sporting events in the UK and this year was no different, with 39,698 people set to tackle the course for charity and thousands of people watching on the streets around the city.

However, this year is of particular significance, as one of the runners has become the millionth person to complete the course.

Runners walk down part of The Mall after completing the 26.2 miles race (Getty/Jeff Spicer)
Runners walk down part of The Mall after completing the 26.2 miles race (Getty/Jeff Spicer)
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About the author
Oliver Dickson Jefford
20. English Literature student at the University of Southampton. Aspiring sports journalist from Hertfordshire.