Marathon, Men

Kenyan Wilson Kipsang had won four major marathons in the preceding 18 months, with a best time of 2-03:42 in winning at Frankfurt in 2011 and had two other times under 2-05. He came into London as the favorite, but was expected to be challenged mainly by his countrymen, Abel Kirui and Emmanuel Mutai. A surprising omission from their Olympic team was world record holder Patrick Makau. The opening pace was pedestrian, going through 10K in a 2-09:49 pace, but Kipsang then put the hammer down, running the next two miles in 4:30 and 4:36, to spread out the field, dropping Mutai. At the halfway point he had a 16-second lead on a group of six contenders. Among these were Kirui and the surprising Ugandan Stephen Kiprotich, more known as a track and cross-country runner. He had been sixth at the 2011 International Cross-Country race, and then made his marathon début at the Enschede race, winning in his first marathon.

At 22 km, Kiprotich gave chase on Kipsang, pulling Kirui along with him, and basically settling the medal race. The two caught Kipsang at 24 km and they would remain together through 35 km. Kiprotich then dropped back slightly, seemingly injured as he slapped at a cramping left hammie. But it was possibly more a tactical pause as he surged ahead going up Fish Street Hill, and dropped both Kenyans over the next minute. He poured on a 4:42 24th mile that left him alone and Kiprotich came home to win Uganda’s first ever medal in the marathon, and their first Olympic gold medal in athletics since John Akii-Bua had won the 1972 400 hurdles.

Kirui attempted to run with Kiprotich but was unable to, while behind him, Kipsang gave way after setting the early pace, and he would win bronze. American Meb Keflezighi, silver medalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics, came home just out of the medals in fourth.