Yehualaw wins after tripping on a speed bump!

AFTER the fall came the rise. Not many athletes can climb up from a face-plant to win the London Marathon but Yalemzerf Yehualaw is rapidly emerging as a runner who does not conform to the usual standards.

The Ethiopian’s victory across two hours, 17 minutes and 26 seconds on Sunday was staggering, both in her revival from tumbling over a speed bump six miles from the tape, and also in what it heralded, with the 23- year- old becoming the youngest winner of this race in history.

That it was only her second ever marathon, six months after winning her first in Hamburg, would indicate she has a better shot than most in her stated ambition of one day breaking the 2:14.04 world record of Brigid Kosgei.

‘I had a dream to be a professional athlete and to run in these races,’ she said. ‘I am so happy to win on my first time in London. London people were shouting a lot and it inspired me.

‘I am thinking of the longer plan I have that I would like to break the world record.’ Kosgei, the dominant Kenyan athlete, was among the many leading names who withdrew injured ahead of this race, which cleared a sizeable hurdle for Yehualaw.

However, another presented itself after 20 miles, when she lost around 25metres on the leading group of eight when she fell hard over the speed bump.

‘I hurt my hip and knee,’ she said, before a member of her team confirmed she bumped her head as well. Despite that setback, she reeled the pack in and by the 24th mile it had become a two-woman showdown with the defending champion Joyciline Jepkosgei.

That was when Yehualaw ran a storming mile of four minutes and 43 seconds, the quickest ever recorded in a women’s marathon, and left the Kenyan in her wake. Her time was the third fastest in the 42 years of the race.

The men’s event was won by Amos Kipruto in 2: 04.39 after breaking three miles from home. The leading British runner was ninth-placed Weynay Ghebresilasie, who ran for Eritrea at London 2012 before seeking asylum here.

The 28-year-old said: ‘Before the 2012 Olympics my country was not in a good situation, that’s why I stayed in Britain. I was in Sunderland and then moved to Birmingham and I’m in Scotland now.

‘My plan is to run at the World Championships and the Paris Olympics for Great Britain.’

Meanwhile, Eilish McColgan, who pulled out because of blood sugar issues that are exacerbated over the marathon distance, set a new European 10km road with 30:18 at the Great Scottish Run.