LONDON: Ethiopia's Tigist Tufa upset the formbook to win the women's London Marathon on Sunday and end a four-year run of Kenyan success in the event.
Tufa, 28, was only the ninth-fastest competitor in the elite women's field but, following a protracted tactical battle, broke clear from the pack and even had time to wave to the crowd down the finishing straight as she won by some 18 seconds from Kenya's Mary Keitany in an unofficial time of two hours, 23 minutes and 22 seconds.
Keitany, the winner of the race in 2011 and 2012, just did enough to hold off Tufa's compatriot, Tirfi Tsegaye, in the battle for second place.
Tufa, the 2014 Shanghai Marathon champion, was the first Ethiopian to win the London women's race since Derartu Tulu in 2001.
This year's edition had been billed as four-way clash between the Kenyan quartet of defending champion Edna Kiplagat, Keitany, half-marathon world record holder Florence Kiplagat and Priscah Jeptoo, the London winner in 2013.
Tufa was hardly talked about but, in cool conditions and under grey skies, the relatively slow pace early on meant she was able to stay mong the leading group before a 25th mile completed in just 5mins 07secs saw her pull clear, with the chasing pack unable to respond.
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