London Marathon 2012: Latest Results for Men's and Women's Divisions

A few days ago the "100 days" countdown to the 2012 Olympics began. The running of the Virgin London Marathon today marked 96 days until the Opening Ceremonies.

England's race provides a late season chance for runners to solidify their selection to their countries' teams. The Olympic Marathon will take place in London on August 5, 2012.

London's event was completed with relatively few surprises at the top. Kenya produced the winners for both the men's and women's races, and the podium was all Kenyan on the women's side.

Wilson Kipsang blasted away from the competition around mile 20, eventually crossing the finish line more than two minutes ahead of his fellow countryman and three-time winner Martin Lel.

Mary Keitany successfully defended her title in the event, winning last year's and this year's women's race. Keitany defeated two other Kenyans, including World Champion Edna Kiplagat, for the title. Mile 23 caused problems for Kiplagat, and Keitany was able to pull away from her in the final three miles, winning by just over one minute. Priscah Jeptoo rounded out the podium for the Kenyans.

Come August, it is almost a forgone conclusion which country will walk away with gold on the women's side. Two other Kenyan racers finished fourth and fifth, giving the country a top-five sweep.  

Kipsang's win was the eighth victory for a male Kenyan athlete at the event in the past nine years. On the women's side, however, Keitany has taken over the event the past two years. In contrast to the men's side, last year she became the first Kenyan winner since 2004. 

Keitany has undoubtedly earned her spot on the Kenyan Olympic team this summer and will look to bring the gold back to her native country after Romanian Constantina Tomescu earned the medal at the 2008 games. 

Kipsang and his countrymen will be looking to defend the title won by Samuel Kamau Wanjiru four years ago in Beijing. However, while the women of Kenya look to be unbeatable this summer, the men will have some serious competition to contend with. 

Ethiopia, Morocco, Eritrea and Brazil all placed runners in the top 10 of the London Marathon today. Ethiopian Tsegaye Kebede was edged out of second place by just one second by Lel. Two Moroccans rounded out the top five, with Adil Annani and Jaouad Gharib finishing less than a minute off the podium.

Of course, the Olympic Marathon course will differ from the route the runners completed this morning, so that wrinkle, coupled with different conditions, could open the door for multiple upsets in either gender grouping. The runners were able to check out parts of the Olympic course during their time in London, however, and the two courses will have a few coinciding stretches. 

Today was an audition of sorts; now it is a waiting game for most runners. Soon they will find out if they'll be visiting Great Britain again in August when the sun is at its hottest and the stakes are at their highest.