/ 18 April 2000

PINTO UPSTAGES AFRICAN RUNNERS IN LONDON

PORTUGAL’S Antonio Pinto on Sunday dismantled the most impressive line-up ever fielded to win his third London marathon. Pinto upstaged the world-class field, including the world’s fastest marathon runner, Khalid Khannouchi, South Africa’s Olympic champion Josia Thugwane, defending titlist Abdelkader El Mouaziz, in 2:06.36 — a race record and fifth fastest marathon time ever recorded. Defending titlist Abdelkader El Mouaziz of Morocco placed second, almost a minute slower. Khannouchi, running in London for the first time, moved from eighth to third in the late stages of the race and finished in his slowest marathon time ever, 2:08.36. In the women’s race, Kenyan Tegla Loroupe, finished first in 2:24.33. Romania’s Lidia Simon was 13 seconds slower in second spot and another Kenyan, Joyce Chepchumba, was third in 2:24.57.