London Marathon Results: Sammy Wanjiru Wins 2009 London Marathon in Fast Time

The 2009 London Marathon is over and while it didn’t produce the world record that many hoped for in the men’s race, but it did result in a fast time and an exciting finish between the top three competitors.

Sadly the race was missing last year’s runner Martin Lel, tipped as favourite to win this year.

Kenyan runner and pre-race favourite Sammy Wanjiru has won this year’s London Marthon event in a time of 2:05:10. Sammy proved too strong for second place getter Tsegaye Kebede of Ethiopia who finished only ten seconds back in 2:05:20. Jaouad Gharib of Marocco was third in 2:05:27 in a tight finish.

The women’s race was not so nerve-wracking with Irina Mikitenko of Germany, well clear of second place in a 2:22:11. Mara, Yamauchi of Great Britain took second just over a minute back in 2:23:12 and Liliya Shobukova of Russia finished third in 2:24:24.

If you want more in depth results, check out the official London Marathon 2009 Results.

Head over to the Science Of Sport website for a London Marathon of 2009 Men's Race Report

Check back for a full race report soon.

Top 10 Men Finishers

WANJIRU, SAMUEL (KEN) 2:05:10

KEBEDE, TSEGAYE (ETH) 2:05:20

GHARIB, JAOUAD (MAR) 2:05:27

MUTAI, EMMANUEL (KEN) 2:06:53

RAMAALA, HENDRICK (RSA) 2:07:44

GOUMRI, ABDERRAHIM (MAR) 2:08:25

KIFLE, YONAS (ERI) 2:08:28

SATO, ATSUSHI (JPN) 2:09:16

KEFLEZIGHI, MEB (USA) 2:09:21

LIMO, FELIX (KEN) 2:09:47

Women’s Top 10 Finishers

MIKITENKO, IRINA (GER) 2:22:11

YAMAUCHI, MARA (GBR) 2:23:12

SHOBUKOVA, LILIYA (RUS) 2:24:24

ZAKHAROVA, SVETLANA (RUS) 2:25:06

ADERE, BERHANE (ETH) 2:25:30

ABITOVA, INGA (RUS) 2:25:55

NDEREBA, CATHERINE (KEN) 2:26:22

MORIMOTO, TOMO (JPN) 2:26:29

WAMI, GETE (ETH) 2:26:54

PETROVA, LYUDMILA (RUS) 2:27:42

World Class Field In 2009 London Marathon – Will the World Record Go?

This year’s London Marathon field boasts an “Insane Men’s Field” according to the prominent running blog, LetsRun.Com’s analysis of the 2009 London Marathon’s men’s field, and for good reason.

So who are this year’s London Marathon favourites?

Let’s first look at the men’s and then the women’s contenders.

 

Based on a recent media press release, this year’s London Marathon men’s field includes:

• The current Olympic Marathon Champion
• The current World Champion
• The first four finishers from last year’s event
• Four of the first five finishes in the Olympic Marathon
• A former double World Marathon Champion
• A World Marathon Champion Bronze Medalist
• 5 of the top 15th quickest men of all time.
• A dual World Cross Country Champion and three time World Half Marathon Champion who is tipped as a future world record holder

Favourite To Win:

Martin Lel (Kenya)

Martin Lel is hands down favourite, if for no other reason than his amazing track record in this event, but also because he is regarded as one of the best marathon runners in the world at the moment.

Photo Credit: yaaaay

While he finished a disappointing 5th in the Beijing Olympic games, he has demonstrated recent good form in the Lisbon Half Marathon, winning the event in 59:56 from Jaouad Gharib (2nd in 59:59), Emmanuel Mutai (6th 60:45), Sammy Wanjiru (7th 61:25) and Felix Limo (15th 65:33).

The guy has a noted fast finish, blazing home last year in London, to defeat Sammy Wanjiru, then doing the same to Goumri in the New York Marathon. Few marathon runners can match Lel’s kick and if he is in the lead group with 1km to go, he will be odds on to win.

One shadow of doubt for Lel is an injury scare that was recently reported. Lel revealed in a press conference that he experienced a twinge in his hip in his Sunday training session and has had a precautionary MRI scan. While many believe this is seriously dashes his chances and that starting anything less than 100% against this field is a huge disadvantage, such niggles are common in athletes at Lel’s level and it may prove to be nothing.

Having said that, sub 3 minute/km over 42 kilometers will expose any weakness and if Lel does not finish the race it will not be a huge surprise either.

The problem for Lel is an injury-scare that has only come out this week. Apparently, he has hurt his hip, and though scans revealed no damage, he is going to be receiving treatment on it right up to the race. That is a big blow for his chances, because any weakness or injury will be exposed over 42 km of racing at 3 min/km. So starting at anything less than 100%, against this field, represents a real risk.

Sammy Wanjiru

No one who watched the Beijing Olympics will forget Sammy Wanjiru’s performance, which has been called the “Best marathon of all time” by many people who would know.

Sammy is also the world Half Marathon World Record Holder with a time of 58:33.

London will be Sammy’s fourth marathon, but will it be his best? He had a poor performance in Lisbon a month ago, finishing 7th in 61:25, well back from the eventual winner (Lel).

This may not be a big deal however, given that it was 5 weeks out from a Marathon, which means he may well have been running an insane amount of volume in training.

Never the less, all eyes will be on Sammy when the race kicks off and the Kenyan is very confident, claiming the world record is his goal for the race.

If Sammy is fully fit and runs a race that can match the Olympics, Sammy could well do what he says.

Zersenay Tadese (Eritrean)

An athlete with huge expectations in his first ever marathon is Zersenay Tadese. Coming from an exceptional background, with marjor performances on track, cross country and road, Tadese has achieved an Olympic podium place over 10,000m, has won the World Half Marathon championships for the last 3 years and is one of the few men who has beaten Kenenisa Bekele over his pet event, the World Cross Country titles (2007)

His list of credentials goes on, he is one of only four men to break 59 minutes for a half marathon, a very strong predictor of marathon performance, given that all the guys ahead of him have all proven themselves over the marathon, experts have high hopes for Tadese and some even predict he will go on to break the world record.

While, not favorite to win London, he is certainly one to watch and must surely have a shot at victory if the race goes well for him. Some even suggest he could run the fastest debut marathon in history, but we’ll wait and see.

Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia)

22-year-old Ethiopian

The Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede is a small stocky runner who ran bravely to finish 3rd in the Beijing marathon at the 2008 Olympics.

With a personal best time of 2:06:10 in Fukuoka, he is not the fastest man in the field, but is in contention if he runs at his best. He seems to currently be improving with every run and may surprise a few people in this year’s race.

Emmanuel Mutai

Emmanuel Mutai has run 2:06 twice, last year finishing 4th in London ahead of American Ryan Hall and 6th in the Chicargo Marathon. He finished 6th in Lisbon last month ahead of Sammy Wanjiru which, if not one of the favorites, certainly puts him in contention for this year’s race.

Abderrahim Goumri (Morocco)

Moroccan athlete, Abderrahim Goumri has been “bridesmaid” on more than one occasion, finishing runner up to Martin Lel in 2007 in both the London and New York Marathons and again in the 2008 New York Marathon to Marilson dos Santos, however he has never failed to achieve a podium finish in a major marathon.

Could the London Marathon of 2009 be his lucky break? It may be, but everything would have to go his way for it to happen.

Jaoud Gharib

Finishing second in the Beijing Olympics in spectacular fashion, Jaoud Gharib is another name to watch and comes into London with form on the board finishing second to Martin Lel in Lisbon in a time of 59:59.

He seems to fare well in warm weather, so the cooler London climate may not suit him as well as it did in Beijing. Jaoud has finished in the top 4 in London 3 times, so expect him to mix it up with the other big name athletes in the field.

Others To Watch

Other noted runners who are not expected to win are:

• Atsushi Sato (Japan), 33, PB: 2:07:13
• Luke Kibet (Kenya), 26, PB: 2:08:52
• Felix Limo (Kenya), 28, PB: 2:06:14
• Henrick Ramaala, 37, PB: 2:06:55
• Yonas Kifle (Eritrean), 32, PB: 2:07:34
• Meb Keflezighi (USA), 33, PB: 2:09:52

So how will the 2009 London Marathon unfold? We’ll just have to wait and see. If Lel or Wanjiru are on song and the weather is good, the world record could easily fall, and Tadese, along with a host of other dark horses could well steal the show.

He certainly has the credentials to challenge these two and Lel and Wanjiru go into the race with a few question marks. Lel’s injury and Wanjiru’s recent poor half marathon performances.

Another good summary of the men’s contenders for the London Marathon 2009 can be found on the Science of Sport website as well as the LetsRun.com website.

Check it out here. London Marathon Men’s Predictions

And here. London Marathon 2009 Men’s Preview.

The Sport Science website will also presents a post-race summary of how the event unfolded. These are usually excellent and include detailed splits with commentary.

More information on the Runners in this year’s event can be found in the media guide here: London Marathon 2009 Athlete Profiles.

London Marathon: How to use your Forerunner 405CX to pace yourself in the London Marathon

The London Marathon takes place at the end of April each year and is always a hugely popular event. 2008 saw nearly 35,000 finishers cross the finish line in an event that has raised £315 million in it's history since 1981.

Garmin Forerunner is the best and most popular GPS sports watch manufacturer. Many runners competing in the London Marathon will look down on their wrist to view the Garmin Forerunner 405 or it's recent upgrade, the 405CX, which has improved calorie calculation and a replaceable wrist band that makes this watch suitable for large and petite wrist sizes alike.

If you are trying to improve on your personal best time in this years London marathon and have invested in one of Garmin Forerunner’s GPS watches, it is useful to know that the forerunner is equipped with features that can help you stay on track.

The Forerunner watch comes bundled with the ability to for predicting your finishing time, or for analysing your performance after the event. To do this, you can set up your Forerunner to track regular splits in your race.

The most common and useful splits are kilometre and mile markers. This can be achieved by activating the Forerunner's Auto Lap feature. A lap will be automatically marked after you have travelled the distance you specify. So for instance if you set Auto Lap to trigger after each mile of the event, your watch will record this data for your viewing after the race.

AUTO LAP is set up with the following steps:

• Navigate through the menu as follows MENU->TRAINING->OPTIONS->AUTO LAP
• Select BY DISTANCE and enter your distance in either kilometres or miles.
• Press QUIT to exit.

Now during your run, your Forerunner will record a lap split and alert you at each mile marker in the race. The watch allows you to display your last lap pace or speed with your current lap pace so you can immediately tell if you are running faster or have slowed down since the last mile.

 Photo Courtesy of zoonabar

Other Forerunner Features

Another useful feature of the forerunner that goes hand in hand with AUTO LAP is the AUTO PAUSE feature which is useful in training runs, where you need to start and stop a lot of the time. This feature will automatically pause the Forerunner timer when you stop moving and start it when you commence moving again.

 

Another useful feature that you might consider using in the London Marathon is the VIRTUAL PARTNER feature. The VIRTUAL PARTNER is a virtual competitor that "competes" with you at a pre-defined pace. It is displayed as a stick man on the watch face and indicates if you are ahead of, or behind your target pace. It is even possible to change your virtual partner's speed while in the middle of a run, so if you're on track for a personal best and are feeling good, you can tweak the virtual partner to run faster.

 

Just don't get too carried away, remember that many runners hit the wall at around 30 kilometres. If you are feeling good, you can always pick up the pace at the very end of the race.

 

Visit SportsWatchInformant.Com for more information on Garmin Forerunner watches and other GPS Sports Watches.

London Marathon Route: The London Marathon Course Description With Pictures

Photo courtesy of miheco

The London Marathon is renown as a fast, flat course that not only attracts a lot of attention from fun runners and joggers in general, but never fails to draw a top quality Elite field. It was on this course that Paula Radcliffe achieved her world record time of 2:15:24 in her 2003 London Marathon victory.

Since the inaugural running of the London Marathon back in 1981, the course has remained relatively unchanged, with only two alterations to the course.

The three starting points in relation to each other.

The Red Start

The event has different start groups for three different groups of entrants. The red start is at Greenwich Park, Charlton Way. This group of runners comprises of golden bond runners, guaranteed runners and overseas entrants.

The Blue Start

The blue group starts at Shooters Hill in Blackheath. Ballot runners, wheelchair and elite runners start from this location.

The Green Start

Starting at St John’s Park on the edge of Blackheath is the green start. This is where good for age and media runners congregate.

Course Start – Woolwich Royal Artillery Barracks, Miles 1 – 4

Photo courtesy of davemorris.

The three groups run on separate tracks with the green and blue runners converging just before the one mile mark. All there groups merge onto the same course in Woolwich, just before the three mile mark on John Wilson Street. Participants will take in the sights of the Millennium Dome and Woolwich Royal Artillery Barracks around this point, before making their way through New Charlton.

New Charlton, Greenwich, Deptford, Miles 5 – 8

Photo courtesy of bram_souffreau

The five mile mark feature is the Naval Hospital, an historical icon built by Sir Christopher Wren. Participants will then make their way along Trafalgar Road Greenwich (6 miles) and then Romney Road where they will pass the famous Royal Naval College and Maritime Museum. The most prominent landmark here is the Cutty Sark, a favourite area for spectators due to the numerous pubs and restaurants in the area.

Greenland Docks, Surrey Docks City Farm, Tower Bridge, Miles 9 - 12

Tower Bridge. Photo courtesy of jamiedfw.

The course then winds around Surrey Docks. The nine mile point is at the junction of Canada Street and Surrey Quays Road. The route then passes through Greenland Docks, the new residential area. The course passes within about 250 meters of the Mayflower pub at 10.5 miles, then passes Butlers Wharf and the Design Museum as the runners approach the Tower Bridge.

Tower of London, Shadwell, Link Road Tunnel, Isle of Dogs Peninsular, Miles 13-16

Mudchute, Photo courtesy of londonmatt.

Once the runners have crossed the Tower, they will head eastward, passing St George in the East, along the highway towards Docklands, before passing the western entrance of the mile-long Limehouse Link Road Tunnel at the 14 mile mark. After the 14 mile mark, the route takes in the sights of the Grapes pub and St Anne’s Church. At around the 15 mile mark, participants will pass under Westferry Circus and onto Westferry Road, taking them down to the tip of the Isle of Dogs Peninsular. This area features a place known as Mudchute, home to the biggest inner city farm in Europe.

Mudchute, One Canada Square, West India Dock Road, Miles 17-20

At around the 18 mile mark, runners will pass the City Pride pub and soon after will be able to catch a glimpse of runners at the 16 mile mark going in the opposite direction. They will at one point pass the base of One Canada Squire, Britain’s tallest building which is a formidable 800 feet high. Once past the 20 mile mark runners will head along West India Dock Road where they will approach the Tower Bridge for the second time.

Shadwell, Tower of London, Southwark, Miles 21-24

Mile 22 provides unparallel views of Tomas Telford’s 1828 warehouses, although by this point, this will probably be the last thing on runner’s minds. Between miles 22 and 23, runners will pass the Tower Bridge and head into the City of London where they will pass Billingsgate Market then follow the Embankment before passing Cleopatra’s needle. Finally they will go through a tunnel at Upper Thames Street and come out on Victoria Embankment. Runners can take heart that there is just over two miles to go at this point, although these are the hardest ones for many.

Charing Cross to the Finish at St James’s Park, Miles 25-Finish

Photo courtesy of OliverN5.

When Parliament Square and Big Ben come into view, runners can breath a sigh of relief that the finish line is not too far away. About a mile to go from this point. Participants will run to the Westminster Bridge, before turning right into Parliament Squire and then onto Great George Street before turning down Birdcage Walk. At the 26 mile point mark they will reach Spur Road and the finish line is just a sprint away from London’s Great Ceremonial Avenue. The finish is right outside the royal residence, Buckingham Palace and that is where the story ends.

London Marathon Training - 10 Keys To Success

Photo courtesy of roogie.

Now is probably a bad time to be talking about your 2009 London Marathon training program. With just over two short weeks, there is not much you can do to prepare other than keep your existing running ticking over at a comfortable level. With so little time to go, you should ideally have eased off your hard training and be in your taper period.

Many entrants, however will just be starting their preparation for the marathon. This NOT the way to prepare for a 41.95 kilometer event and those who have left things this late are in for a big shock when the big day, April 26 rolls along. If you are reasonably fit you should not have anything to worry about. Oh you will still be sore after the event, it is a marathon after all and a little post-event soreness is to be expected, but you will be in better shape than the couch potato who is only now dusting off the running shoes.

With this in mind, I recently came across some running tips from the founder of letsrun.com website, a very good runner by the name of Weldon Johnson. Weldon is an elite athlete who has participated in the US Olympic trials. His article offers 10 tips to improving your running success. While you might not aspire to become an elite athlete, chances are you wish to improve your marathon times for next year.

I will share 9 out of the 10 tips as the 10th tip is on training at high altitudes, an option that is not within the grasp of the average runner. So without further ado, here are the 9 tips. I have added my own thoughts and comments to the mix as well.

Tip 1: Get a great coach.

This cannot be stressed enough! Running is a hard sport. Running without having any inkling of what you're doing is 100 times tougher! No two athletes are alike. We are all at different levels. A great coach will be able to set you an individual training program that will increase your fitness level, and speed over a long term time frame. A great coach will point out common mistakes that you may be making and believe me there are a lot of these to be made in the sport of running!

Tip 2: Get a training partner

I have personally never been able to find a training partner who is reliable enough to always train with me. Most training partners tend to be hot and cold when it comes to turning up for runs week after week. However a regular training partner or a group of people will encourage you to push yourself harder and to improve your level of fitness. Running with other people also keeps you mentally fresh and takes your mind off the task of running which at times can be mind numbingly repetitive.

Tip 3: Run higher mileage

Higher mileage means increasing the total volume of distance you run over a set period. Most people, try and get more out of less mileage. People are constantly looking for shortcuts.

While high intensity training on lower mileage can bring rapid performance improvements, longer term gains will be inferior compared to those gained from higher mileage. Athletes who increase their mileage gradually over the years will reap vast benefits in terms of aerobic improvement, strength and endurance in races. Not only will you run quicker, but you will stay longer.

The trick in running higher mileage is to build up slowly and smartly over a number of years. I know from personal experience that increasing your mileage too quickly is a fast track to an injury, but build up gradually and conservatively and you will see consistent gains for a long time to come.

Tip 4: Make sure you get enough recovery between hard runs

To become a better runner, it is necessary to run efforts at a high level of intensity. But run too many hard efforts in too short a space of time and you will over train. The body needs time to recover from the damage caused by high intensity running. But once the body has healed, the muscles are stronger and capable of running much faster. Some runners like to continuously belt out fast long runs. For many it is an ego thing, they get frustrated when their pace drops below a certain mile pace.

There is really no shame in running easy the day after a hard run. In fact it is recommended to do longer, easier runs. This low intensity running is actually helping your body recover from your much harder work, which is what you need.

Tip 5: Make sure you run on softer surfaces for some of your runs.

Running too much on road or pavements will result in sore and injured legs. If you are running on the pavement every day, then you can probably imagine it isn't good for your muscles or joints. Findinfg softer trails will give your legs some welcome relief, plus it will improve your ankle dexterity, further helping to reduce the chance of injury in the long run.

Tip 6: Eat high carbohydrate food after your run as well as before.

After working out, your exhausted muscles are in a state of depletion. By providing sugar and high energy food quickly after a workout, your recovery can be enhanced dramatically. Here is your excuse to indulge, you knew there had to be some advantages to being a runner didn't you?

Tip 7: Stay hydrated during runs.

It is important to stay hydrated, not only during a workout, but between workouts. This is especially true in an endurance event like a marathon. There are documented horror stories of athletes who have suffered melt-down during an event because they did not keep their fluid intakes high enough, so make sure you are always drinking.

Tip 8: Get more sleep at night

We all tend to cram too much into our lives, and often sleep is sacrificed for more hours awake during the day. In many areas of life, more isn't always better and this is especially true in running. You will struggle to remain focused in your training performances if you do not get sufficient shut-eye! Try and get around 8 hours of sleep a night, or more.

Tip 9: Always treat injuries with a healthy dose of respect

An unfortunate side effect of hard running is injury, but if you are aware of your body and manage your niggles, injuries can almost always be prevented. When in doubt it is always best to ice an area of soreness and see a physio or sports doctor immediately.

These are smart tips, from a man who knows a thing or two. I would also like to add that it helps immensely to plan ahead in your training. For example, now would be a great time to start preparing for the Virgin 2010 London marathon as well as starting to think about lodging your London Marathon Application Form.

Becoming a better running is a long term pursuit. The good news is that, you can continue to improve your fitness, condition and performances for many years to come.