Martin Lel, the defending champion from Kenya, won the men's race in the 2008 London Marathon in a course record time of 2 hours 5 minutes and 15 seconds.

Lel justified his billing as favourite after winning a sprint finish in a time that broke the previous London best of 2hr 5min 38sec set by Khalid Khannounchi of the United States in 2002.

Sammy Wanjiru, also of Kenya, was second in 2hr 5min 24sec while Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri finished third in 2hr 5min 30sec.

At one point Lel looked as if he might threaten the world record of 2hr 4min 26sec set by Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie in Berlin in September before slowing in the closing stages.

Irina Mikitenko, the Kazakhstan-born athlete, who runs for Germany, won the women's race in an unofficial time of 2hr 24min 12sec.

Mikitenko's powerful burst in the 24th mile broke the spirit of Russia's Svetlana Zakharova - a two-time London runner-up - and Gete Wami, the pre-race favourite from Ethiopia.

Wami suffered a heavy fall at a feeding station just before 30 kilometres but made a remarkable recovery to claim third.

David Weir, the British wheelchair athlete, won his third London Marathon in a row after perfectly timing a late sprint to the line that took him clear of his rivals in a time of one 1hr 33min 56sec. Weir beat Australia's Kurt Fearnley into second place with France's Denis Lemeunier in third.

Switzerland's Sandra Graf set a new course record to win the women's race in 1hr 48min 5sec with Britain's Shelly Woods, the defending champion, coming home in third.

Meanwhile, Britain's Liz Yelling and Dan Robinson both ran personal bests to almost certainly book their places at the Beijing Olympics.

The race took a slight detour after reports of a gas leak at a pub near the halfway point near Tower Bridge, but an inspection saw the course subsequently restored to its original route.

London Marathon leading results

Men:

1. Martin Lel (Kenya) 2 hrs 5 mins 15 secs
2. Samuel Wanjiru (Kenya) 2:05:24
3. Abderrahim Goumri (Morocco) 2:05:30
4. Emmanuel Mutai (Kenya) 2:06:15
5. Ryan Hall (US) 2:06:17
6. Deriba Mergia (Ethiopia) 2:06:38
7. Yonas Kifle (Eritrea) 2:08:51
8. Felix Limo (Kenya) 2:10:34
9. Aleksey Sokolov (Russia) 2:11:41
10. Hendrick Ramaala (South Africa) 2:11:44

Women:

1. Irina Mikitenko (Germany) 2 hrs 24 mins 14 secs
2. Svetlana Zakharova (Russia) 2:24:39
3. Gete Wami (Ethiopia) 2:25:37
4. Salina Kosgei (Kenya) 2:26:30
5. Ludmila Petrova (Russia) 2:26:45
6. Souad Ait Salem (Algeria) 2:27:41
7. Berhane Adere (Ethiopia) 2:27:42
8. Constantina Dita (Romania) 2:27:45
9. Liz Yelling (Britain) 2:28:33
10. Adriana Pirtea (Romania) 2:28:52

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