Several London Marathon runners wilted in the heat as the hottest race on record took its toll on competitors.

The mercury reached 23.2 Celsius meaning it was officially the warmest London Marathon in its 38-year history.

One runner was literally wheeled over the finish line on a stretcher while others sought medical attention at different stages of the 26-mile course.

Even elite athlete Mo Farah was visibly exhausted after he completed the course in a British record time, slumping to the concrete following his third-placed finish.

Farah, who won gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000m in the past two Olympic Games, admitted his second full marathon had taken its toll in a race where there was a world record pace at the halfway point.

He told the BBC: "I am knackered. The guys went for it, they were on for world record pace, so it was do or die. I went with it and hung in as much as I could.

"It's so different to the track. It's incredible. It's different pain, different training but I've really enjoyed it. I gave it all, 110 per cent as I normally do.

"I've got a long way to go in the marathon. You get heavy legs. Mentally you've just got to be strong, take your drink and just pace yourself."

Eliud Kipchoge won the men's race, while Vivian Cheruiyot timed her run to perfection to win the women's event.

Cheruiyot, 34, took advantage of failed attempts by last year's winner Mary Keitany and runner-up Tirunesh Dibaba to break Paula Radcliffe's 15-year-old world record.

In stifling heat first Dibaba, of Ethiopia, and then Cheruiyot's fellow Kenyan Keitany dropped off the pace allowing the 2016 Olympic 5000m gold medalist to claim victory.

Elsewhere, Britain's David Weir won the men's wheelchair race for the eighth time after a thrilling sprint finish.

The 38-year-old pipped Switzerland's Marcel Hug into second place, with Daniel Romanchuk of the USA third.

The leaders were well inside the course record time of one hour 28 minutes and 57 seconds during the first half of the race, in what were fine conditions for wheelchair racing.</s>LONDON (AP) — The hottest-ever London Marathon featured a Kenyan double as Eliud Kipchoge swept to a third victory in front of Buckingham Palace joining Vivian Cheruiyot who won the women's race on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Kipchoge ran the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 27 seconds to add to the Olympic champion's wins in the British capital in 2015 and 2016.

"I ran a really beautiful race," he said.

Tola Shura Kitata of Ethiopia was second, followed by Mo Farah, who set a British record 2:06:21 in front of his home fans who lined the streets in temperatures that reached 73.8 degrees (23.2 Celsius) near the finish.

While the race began in the southeast London district of Blackheath, the official starter for the men's race was more than 30 miles (48 kilometer) to the west of the British capital. Queen Elizabeth II pushed the start button in front of Windsor Castle.

The race ended in front of the monarch's London residence — Buckingham Palace.

Cheruiyot, the Olympic 5,000-meter champion, crossed the line in 2:18:31 seconds to win at her second attempt. Fellow Kenyan, Brigid Kosgei, was 1 minute, 42 seconds further back and Tadelech Bekele of Ethiopia was third.

There was a home success with David Weir winning the men's wheelchair race for an eighth time after a sprint finish.

The 38-year-old Weir clocked 1:31:15 to beat Marcel Hug of Switzerland into second place, while Daniel Romanchuk of the United States was third.

Madison de Rozario of Australia won the women's wheelchair race for the first time ahead of four-time champion Tatyana McFadden, whose fellow American, Susannah Scaroni, was third.</s>LONDON — Eliud Kipchoge swept to a third London Marathon victory and Vivian Cheruiyot won the event for the first time as Kenyans triumphed in sweltering conditions on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Kipchoge ran the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometre) course in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 27 seconds to add to his wins in the British capital in 2015 and 2016.

Shura Kitata Tola of Ethiopia was second, followed by Mo Farah in front of his home fans.

While the race began in the southeast London district of Blackheath, the official starter for the men's race was more than 30 miles (48 kilometre) to the west of the British capital. Queen Elizabeth II pushed the start button in front of Windsor Castle.</s>Share this article with Google Plus

More than 40,000 runners have taken to the streets in sweltering heat for what is has officially been confirmed as the hottest London Marathon on record.

The morning hasn’t been without controversy, with Mo Farah accidentally picking up another runner’s bottle at the start of the elite men’s race.

He later told the BBC: ‘I was confused. Some of the staff tried to take a picture rather than give me a drink at the start.

‘Can you tell the staff to be a little bit more helpful. Mine and one of the other guy’s drink was exactly the same.’

Mo got a new British record for his second attempt at the marathon in the UK capital, finishing in third place.

Meanwhile Lily Partridge became the first British athlete to complete the gruelling 26 mile course in under two and half hours.

Kenyan runner Vivian Cheruiyot won the elite women’s race with a personal best of two hours and 18 minutes.

But it wasn’t quite quick enough to beat Paula Radcliffe’s marathon world record of two hours and 15 minutes.

The four-time British Olympian ran the impressive time in 2003.

Earlier, Brit David Weir won the men’s wheelchair race in his eigth London Marathon success.

Two other rivals gave him a sprint finish to the tape but the Scot’s experience won him first place in the end.

The Queen launched the 38th London Marathon this morning via video link from Windsor Castle.

The Met Office confirmed the temperature in London hit 23.2C, a record high for the event.

Runners had been advised to drop their goal-times and organisers have added more ice, water and run-through shower stations along the 26.2-mile course.

Among this year’s runners are firefighters who tackled the Grenfell Tower blaze, a police officer stabbed in the London Bridge terror attack and members of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

Sunday marks 25 years since the murder of the teenager, who was a keen runner.

Meanwhile almost 100 runners will attempt Guinness World Records – dressed variously in suits of armour, as mythical creatures, and wearing stilts and ski boots.</s>Several London Marathon runners wilted in the heat as the hottest race on record took its toll on competitors.

The mercury reached 23.2 Celsius meaning it was officially the warmest London Marathon in its 38-year history.

One runner was literally wheeled over the finish line on a stretcher while others sought medical attention at different stages of the 26-mile course.

Even elite athlete Mo Farah was visibly exhausted after he completed the course in a British record time, slumping to the concrete following his third-placed finish.

Farah, who won gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000m in the past two Olympic Games, admitted his second full marathon had taken its toll in a race where there was a world record pace at the halfway point.

He told the BBC: "I am knackered. The guys went for it, they were on for world record pace, so it was do or die. I went with it and hung in as much as I could.

"It's so different to the track. It's incredible. It's different pain, different training but I've really enjoyed it. I gave it all, 110 per cent as I normally do.

"I've got a long way to go in the marathon. You get heavy legs. Mentally you've just got to be strong, take your drink and just pace yourself."

Eliud Kipchoge won the men's race, while Vivian Cheruiyot timed her run to perfection to win the women's event.

Cheruiyot, 34, took advantage of failed attempts by last year's winner Mary Keitany and runner-up Tirunesh Dibaba to break Paula Radcliffe's 15-year-old world record.

In stifling heat first Dibaba, of Ethiopia, and then Cheruiyot's fellow Kenyan Keitany dropped off the pace allowing the 2016 Olympic 5000m gold medalist to claim victory.

Elsewhere, Britain's David Weir won the men's wheelchair race for the eighth time after a thrilling sprint finish.

The 38-year-old pipped Switzerland's Marcel Hug into second place, with Daniel Romanchuk of the USA third.

The leaders were well inside the course record time of one hour 28 minutes and 57 seconds during the first half of the race, in what were fine conditions for wheelchair racing.</s>(LONDON) — The hottest-ever London Marathon featured a Kenyan double as Eliud Kipchoge swept to a third victory in front of Buckingham Palace joining Vivian Cheruiyot who won the women’s race on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Kipchoge ran the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometer) course in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 27 seconds to add to the Olympic champion’s wins in the British capital in 2015 and 2016.

“I ran a really beautiful race,” he said.

Tola Shura Kitata of Ethiopia was second, followed by Mo Farah, who set a British record 2:06:21 in front of his home fans who lined the streets in temperatures that reached 73.8 degrees (23.2 Celsius) near the finish.

While the race began in the southeast London district of Blackheath, the official starter for the men’s race was more than 30 miles (48 kilometer) to the west of the British capital. Queen Elizabeth II pushed the start button in front of Windsor Castle.

The race ended in front of the monarch’s London residence — Buckingham Palace.

Cheruiyot, the Olympic 5,000-meter champion, crossed the line in 2:18:31 seconds to win at her second attempt. Fellow Kenyan, Brigid Kosgei, was 1 minute, 42 seconds further back and Tadelech Bekele of Ethiopia was third.

There was a home success with David Weir winning the men’s wheelchair race for an eighth time after a sprint finish.

The 38-year-old Weir clocked 1:31:15 to beat Marcel Hug of Switzerland into second place, while Daniel Romanchuk of the United States was third.

Madison de Rozario of Australia won the women’s wheelchair race for the first time ahead of four-time champion Tatyana McFadden, whose fellow American, Susannah Scaroni, was third.</s>LONDON — The hottest-ever London Marathon featured a Kenyan double as Eliud Kipchoge swept to a third victory in front of Buckingham Palace joining Vivian Cheruiyot who won the women's race on Sunday.

The 33-year-old Kipchoge ran the 26.2-mile (42.2-kilometre) course in 2 hours, 4 minutes, 27 seconds to add to the Olympic champion's wins in the British capital in 2015 and 2016.

"I ran a really beautiful race," he said.

Tola Shura Kitata of Ethiopia was second, followed by Mo Farah, who set a British record 2:06:21 in front of his home fans who lined the streets in temperatures that reached 73.8 degrees (23.2 Celsius) near the finish.

While the race began in the southeast London district of Blackheath, the official starter for the men's race was more than 30 miles (48 kilometre) to the west of the British capital. Queen Elizabeth II pushed the start button in front of Windsor Castle.

The race ended in front of the monarch's London residence — Buckingham Palace.

Cheruiyot, the Olympic 5,000-meter champion, crossed the line in 2:18:31 seconds to win at her second attempt. Fellow Kenyan, Brigid Kosgei, was 1 minute, 42 seconds further back and Tadelech Bekele of Ethiopia was third.

There was a home success with David Weir winning the men's wheelchair race for an eighth time after a sprint finish.

The 38-year-old Weir clocked 1:31:15 to beat Marcel Hug of Switzerland into second place, while Daniel Romanchuk of the United States was third.

Madison de Rozario of Australia won the women's wheelchair race for the first time ahead of four-time champion Tatyana McFadden, whose fellow American, Susannah Scaroni, was third.</s>Kenyan runner Vivian Cheruiyot on Sunday surprised the favorites and won her first London Marathon women's race, while fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge claimed his third win in London in the men's elite race.

Sir Mo Farah of the United Kingdom came third, breaking the men's British marathon record with a time of two hours, six minutes and 32 seconds.

Cheruiyot, 34, who finished fourth in the London Marathon last year, had a winning time of 2 hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds, just three minutes off the absolute world record held by Britain's Paula Radcliffe in 2003, also set in London.

The Olympic 5,000-meter champion was joined on the podium by her compatriot Brigid Kosgei in second and Ethiopia's Tadelech Bekele in third.

Three-time winner and defending champion Mary Keitany of Kenya led the race up until the last eight kilometers, but came fifth.

In the men's race, Olympic marathon champion Kipchoge dominated from start to finish, taking his third victory in the last four years in London.

Tola Shura Kitata of Ethiopia came second, followed by Farah.</s>Share this article with Google Plus

More than 40,000 runners are gearing up to face the London Marathon in temperatures of 23C – making it the hottest marathon ever run in the capital.

The Queen will launch the 38th London Marathon this morning, with highs of 23C possible throughout the day.

Runners have been advised to drop their goal-times and organisers have added more ice, water and run-through shower stations along the 26.2-mile course.

Among this year’s runners are firefighters who tackled the Grenfell Tower blaze, a police officer stabbed in the London Bridge terror attack and members of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust.

Sunday marks 25 years since the murder of the teenager, who was a keen runner.

Meanwhile almost 100 runners will attempt Guinness World Records – dressed variously in suits of armour, as mythical creatures, and wearing stilts and ski boots.

Hundreds of police officers will be on duty to keep around 800,000 spectators and runners safe.

Competitors will start from Blackheath, south east London, running a snaking route along both sides of the Thames, finishing on The Mall near Buckingham Palace.

Last year, the event raised £61.5 million for charity, a world record for an annual one-day fundraising event, making the total raised since 1981 around £890 million, organisers said.

A record 386,050 people applied for this year’s race – almost a third more than last year and the highest number for any marathon in the world.

7 – Victories by Great Britain’s David Weir in the men’s wheelchair marathon, the most ever 7.6 – Degrees Celsius of the coolest marathon ever, in 1994 10 – Victories by Kenyan female runners, making it the most successful country in the women’s elite race 11 – Men to have run every London Marathon 13 – Victories by Kenyan male runners, making it the most successful country in the men’s elite race 23 – Degrees Celsius of Sunday’s predicted highest temperature, which would make 2018 the hottest-ever race 39 – First aid stations dotted along the course 45 – Percentage of applicants who were female, a record 196 – Countries where the race will be broadcast £39,273 – Prize money for winners of the men’s and women’s elite races £2.3 million – Highest amount ever raised by a single runner, in 2011 £890 million – Amount raised by runners for charity since the first London marathon in 1981</s>Kenyan runners have dominated this year's London Marathon, with Eliud Kipchoge winning his third title, while Vivian Cheruiyot won the women's race.

Kipchoge finished in two hours, six minutes and 27 seconds in front of Ethiopia's Tola Shura Kitata (2:05:00) and the UK's Mo Farah (2:06:32).

Cheruiyot won in two hours, 18 minutes and 31 seconds, a personal best time.

She came ahead of her compatriot, Brigid Kosgei (2:20:13), and Ethiopia's Tadelech Bekele (2:21:40).

Kipchoge - regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time - was on course for a new world record, but slowed in the final stages of a gruelling race in record warm temperatures.

This year's marathon has been declared the hottest on record.
• London Marathon: What runners need to know
• Is marathon running bad for you?
• How to run a marathon in the heat

Olympic 5,000m champion Cheruiyot ran her first marathon in London last year and finished fourth overall.

Last year's winner, Mary Keitany, also from Kenya, and Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba had been looking to break the "mixed gender" race world record, but both faded during the race.

Keitany had been on course to break the record, but eventually finished fifth (2:24: 27), having lost the lead she had held from the start with around five miles remaining.
Kenyan runners Eliud Kipchoge and Vivian Cheruiyot win the men's and women's events respectively. The event was the hottest since the inaugural race in 1981 with temperatures hitting 23.2 °C (73.8 °F).