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The 22nd London Marathon goes down in history as the fastest ever
after records tumbled on Sunday. The cool and sunny conditions
were ideal for distance running and the world's best soon
took advantage.
Khalid Khannouchi triumphed over the finest men's marathon
field ever assembled to beat his own world record. But for most
running fans, the day belonged to Paula Radcliffe, who showed her
customary tenacity and passion to clinch the women's
race. Making her marathon debut, the plucky British
star easily out-classed her tough opponents, clocking the fastest
time in a women's-only race. She also came desperately close to
the overall world record, falling just nine seconds short of Catherine
Ndereba's time in last year's Chicago marathon.
The men's race proved to be a closer tussle with Khannouchi
outlasting distance great Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat in
a tight contest. The Moroccan-born American broke away in the final
two miles to win in a time of 2:05:38, beating his previous world
record by four seconds.
Elsewhere, Britain's Tanni Grey-Thompson notched up her
sixth victory in the women's wheelchair race in London, while compatriot
Dave Weir won the men's race.
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