Cheered on by thousands of spectators on a cloudy Sunday 35,000 runners including the world’s top athletes started the men’s elite race in the world’s largest fundraising marathon event, the London Marathon 2010.

From the beginning of the race the men’s field kept a high speed with a group of twelve front runners from Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya leading the masses. Abel Kirui from Kenya and Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede lead the men’s race for a long time until Kebede increased his pace to leave Kirui behind.

Kebede who finished last year’s London Marathon second place is the third Ethiopian to win the London Marathon at 02:05:18. Second place goes to Emmanuel Kipchirchir Mutai from Kenya with a minute away of Kebede and third place goes Jaouaed Gharib of Morocco.

Having finished first at this year’ s Lisbon Half Marathon, Zersenay Tadese was not able to repeat his outstanding performance from Lisbon.