London Marathon runner dies

LONDON: A 22-year-old man who fell ill after completing the London Marathon died on Monday, organisers said.   

"It is with regret that we can confirm that a 22-year-old man died peacefully this morning, having collapsed after successfully completing the London Marathon on Sunday," organisers said in a statement.   

"We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to his family and friends.   

"We fully respect the wishes of his family not to release any further details at this difficult time."   

The London Marathon, held annually since 1981, is one of the most popular in the world.   

Sunday's race was run in challenging heat. The temperature nearly hit 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit) at midday, almost equaling the 1996 record, and later rose slightly.   

The St John Ambulance medical charity said it treated 5,032 runners, 73 of whom were sent to hospital for further treatment.   

"This year's event has been unusually hot and we have treated a high number of people," said commissioner Seamus Kelly.   

In the races, Kenya's Martin Lel won the men's event finishing in 2hrs 7min 41sec to beat Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri into second with another Kenyan Felix Limo third.   

The big surprise, though, was the abandonment of Ethiopian legend Haile Gebreselassie.   

Zhou Chunxiu made history as the first Chinese runner to win the London Marathon as she came home in 2hrs 20min 38sec on Sunday, finishing ahead of Ethiopia's Gete Wami and Romanian Constantina Tomescu-Dita in the women's race.