2004 London Marathon

The men's race featured 2003 winner Gezahegne Abera and Evans Rutto, whose debut time at the 2003 Chicago Marathon was the fastest first race time by anyone, and was enough to win the event.{{cite magazine| url=https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/events/a761276/london-04-the-race-report/| title=London 04 - The Race Report| magazine=Runner's World| date=19 April 2004| accessdate=13 September 2021}} Sammy Korir, who had recorded the second fastest marathon of all-time also competed,{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/london_marathon_2004/3636501.stm| title=Rutto survives fall to win| work=BBC Sport| date=18 April 2004| accessdate=13 September 2021}} as did Moroccan world champion Jaouad Gharib.{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85254686/2004-london-marathon-preview/| title=Ethiopia's "Beckham" draws strength from impassioned support|work=The Independent|via=Newspapers.com| date=17 April 2004| page=60| accessdate=13 September 2021}} Paul Tergat, the world record holder in the men's marathon, did not compete due to an injury.{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85254433/2004-great-manchester-run/| title=Okayo in quick return to race action| work=London Evening Standard| via=Newspapers.com| date=21 April 2004| page=128| accessdate=13 September 2021}}

The women's race featured Margaret Okayo, who had won two New York City Marathons, and Sun Yingjie was a favourite for the race.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/london_marathon_2004/3636497.stm| title=Okayo recovers to take win| work=BBC Sport| date=18 April 2004| accessdate=13 September 2021}} Sun had set the third fastest time ever at the 2003 Beijing Marathon. Paula Radcliffe, who won the 2003 race did not compete;{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85254868/sun-2004-lm/| title=Sun threatens to put Radcliffe in the shade| work=The Independent| via=Newspapers.com| date=16 April 2004|page=47| accessdate=13 September 2021}} she had set the women's marathon world record at that event.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/apr/20/paula-radcliffe-london-marathon-record| title=Paula Radcliffe recalls her 'impossible' London marathon record run| work=The Observer| date=20 April 2013| accessdate=13 September 2021}}

File:Margaret Okayo London 2005.jpg won the elite women's race.|alt=Black woman running in white top and blue bottoms on a road.]]

File:Francesca Porcellato 2018.jpg won the women's wheelchair race|alt=Headshot of a white woman in a bright blue kit with cars in the background.]]

The elite and wheelchair races started in dry conditions, though the course became wet later on.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3634713.stm| title=Marathon spirit high despite rain| work=BBC News| date=18 April 2004| accessdate=13 September 2021}} It was the coldest London Marathon in history, as the temperature was {{convert|5.3|C|F}} at the start of the races.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/04/london-marathon-race-report-shura-kitata-eliud-kipchoge-brigid-kosgei| title=London Marathon: Kitata and Kosgei win as blocked ear foils Kipchoge| last=Ingle| first=Sean| work=The Guardian| date=4 October 2020| access-date=22 October 2020| archive-date=21 October 2020| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201021204534/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2020/oct/04/london-marathon-race-report-shura-kitata-eliud-kipchoge-brigid-kosgei| url-status=live}} There was {{convert|12.4|mm|in}} of rain during the race, making it at the time the wettest London Marathon event in history;{{cite news| url=https://www.itv.com/news/london/2020-09-29/london-marathon-facts-you-may-not-know-about-the-capitals-famous-262-mile-event| title=London Marathon: Facts you may not know about the capital's famous 26.2 mile event| work=ITV News| date=30 September 2020| accessdate=15 September 2021}} the 2020 London Marathon later surpassed the 2004 race for amount of rain, as it was run during Storm Alex.

The men's race was won by Kenyan Evans Rutto. Sammy Korir finished second and Jaouad Gharib finished third. Gezahegne Abera withdrew from the race after about {{convert|10|km|mi}}. Rutto, Korir and John Yuda Msuri broke away from the pack around {{convert|25|km|mi}} into the race, and Yuda was distanced from the pair about {{convert|6|mi|km}} from the finish line. During the race, Rutto fell on a cobblestone section near to the Tower of London and brought down Korir; the 2005 race was rerouted to avoid these cobblestones.{{cite magazine| url=https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/events/a761699/flora-london-marathon-course-changes-2005/| title=Flora London Marathon Course Changes 2005| magazine=Runner's World| date=13 December 2004|accessdate=13 September 2021}}{{cite news| url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/85255005/2004-05-lm-route-changes/| title=Bedford backs Brown to run his lifetime best| work=London Evening Standard| via=Newspapers.com| date=21 December 2004| page=37| accessdate=13 September 2021}} At the time, Rutto's time of 2:06:18 was the best finishing time for a marathon that year. Rutto was not selected in the Kenyan team for the 2004 Summer Olympics, as Korir was chosen instead. Jon Brown was the highest place British finisher, and he finished faster than the Olympic qualifying time.

The women's race was won by Kenyan Margaret Okayo, ahead of Lyudmila Petrova in second, and Constantina Diță in third. It was the first time that Kenyan athletes had won both the men's and women's London Marathon events in the same year. Okayo fell behind the leading pack containing Diță after around {{convert|10|mi|km}} of the race, but caught and passed the leaders around {{convert|20|mi|km}} into the race. Diță was overtaken in the closing stages of the race. Tracey Morris was the highest finishing Briton in the race; as a result, she was selected for the British marathon team for the 2004 Summer Olympics, alongside Paula Radcliffe and Liz Yelling.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/3637155.stm| title=Marathon runner makes Olympics| work=BBC News| date=19 April 2004| accessdate=14 September 2021}}

The men's wheelchair race was won by Mexican Saúl Mendoza, with David Weir finishing second.{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/london_marathon_2004/3636627.stm| title=Mendoza wins on debut| work=BBC News| date=18 April 2004| accessdate=13 September 2021}} During the race, Mendoza accidentally followed a police motorbike which diverted him away from the course.{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/apr/19/weather.sport| title=Weather fails to spoil London marathon| work=The Guardian| date=19 April 2004| accessdate=13 September 2021}}

The women's wheelchair race was won by Italian Francesca Porcellato for the second successive year. Briton Paula Craig finished second, with Swedish debutant Gunilla Wallengren finishing third.

File:Tonybobhope.JPG, pictured here in 2011, was the first celebrity to finish.|alt=Headshot of man with blonde wig in fluorescent yellow running top.]]

The mass-participation event had three start points. The races from those locations were started by former runner Roger Bannister, rugby union player Jonny Wilkinson and then IAAF president Lamine Diack respectively. A total of 108,000 people applied to enter the race: 45,219 had their applications accepted and 32,746 started the race.[https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/news-media/media-resources/stats-and-figures/ Stats and Figures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200323182946/https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/news-media/media-resources/stats-and-figures/ |date=23 March 2020 }}. London Marathon. Retrieved 2020-04-25. A total of 31,659 runners, 23,265 men and 8,394 women, finished the race.[http://www.marathonguide.com/results/browse.cfm?MIDD=16040418 London Marathon - Race Results]. Marathon Guide. Retrieved 2020-04-25. Finishers included Fauja Singh, who was aged 93, and finished in a time of 6:07:13.{{cite book| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8Bi0gELqeP4C| title=Fitter for Life: The Secrets of 25 Masters of Fitness| last1=Mayhew|first1=Ed| publisher=Airleaf|pages=118–120|date=2005|isbn=9781594537127}} Singh was the oldest finisher at any London Marathon.{{cite news| url=https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/london-marathon-26-facts-and-records-from-the-capital-s-big-race-10196016.html| title=London Marathon: 26 facts and records from the capital's big race| work=Evening Standard| date=23 April 2015| accessdate=14 September 2021}}

Emmerdale star Tony Audenshaw was the first celebrity to finish, and other notable celebrity participants included chefs Gordon Ramsay and Michel Roux, as well as jockey Richard Dunwoody, former cricketer Graham Gooch, former swimmer Adrian Moorhouse, former England football manager Graham Taylor, former leader of the Conservative Party Iain Duncan Smith and politician Jeffrey Archer.

Note: Only the top 20 finishers are listed.

{{reflist}}

;Results

• [https://more.arrs.run/race/57237 Results]. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved 2020-04-18.

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160725225856/https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/ Official website]

{{London Marathon}}

{{2004 in athletics}}

2004

London Marathon

Marathon

London Marathon