Saturday 16 April 2005 London, UK - It speaks volumes for the elite men's field put together for Sunday's Flora London Marathon (17 April) that the absence of Haile Gebrselassie, Khalid Khannouchi and Gezahegne Abera will hardly be noticed. Despite the withdrawal through injury of such distance running legends there is a phenomenal line-up of talent gathering for the race's 25th anniversary.
Rutto - Unbeaten record The defending champion Evans Rutto returns to London with a 100 per cent record at the marathon distance still intact. His first marathon came in Chicago in 2003 when looking to run around 2:06-2:07, that ambition proved a conservative estimate as he blasted to victory in 2:05:50, the fastest ever debut at the distance. He arrived in London last year looking to run even quicker, but those hopes were ended as he tripped over a security barrier and slid across a road-soaked road, suffering cuts to his knees. But he picked himself up to win in 2:06:19 and then followed up with victory in Chicago in October. His halfway split in the Windy City was 62:24, leading to hopes of a World record, but strong winds took their toll and he had to settle for the win in 2:06:16. It may have been his slowest marathon to date but he won by almost a minute-and-a-half and it still left him unbeaten at the distance and boasting an average time of 2:06:08. Rutto seeks quality rather than quantity when it comes to racing. He hasn't raced for six months, Chicago being his last competitive outing, but he is not concerned by that. "I've been training in Boulder and everything has gone well," Rutto confirmed. "I don't feel I need to race, I will save that for Sunday. I was a little disappointed not to set a personal best in London last year so I hope to make up for that, but whether I can break the World record we will have to see. "But the important thing is to win the race and I will be very happy if I do that. I was very happy when I read that the course is changing slightly this year. They have removed the section where I fell last year and it should make it a faster course." Tergat - on-form half One man out to end Rutto's unbeaten sequence is world marathon record-holder Paul Tergat, who warmed up with a 59:10 Half Marathon (slightly downhill) in Lisbon last month. Only Tergat himself has run faster than that, but at the marathon he has yet to enjoy the success he did at the half distance. He may be World record holder with 2:04:55, but that Berlin victory is his only success at the distance to date. Since that Berlin victory, Tergat was forced to pull out of last year's London Marathon with a leg injury and he was 10th at the Olympic Marathon having been haled back due to stomach cramps. But he's clearly in great shape and is looking to run well. "I've got plenty of miles behind me and good speed work but there is a very competitive line-up,' said Tergat. "All I can say is I will be up there with them and looking to win." http://www.iaaf.org/news/Kind=2/newsId=29134.html
