Kiplagat managed to acquire a substantial lead ahead of second-place winner Italy’s Valeria Straneo. Kiplagat won in 2 hours, 25 minutes, 44 seconds. Kayoko Fukushi of Japan was third.
As the rest of the marathoners made their way through the course, few fans were present along the way to cheer them during a sweltering afternoon, with temperatures hovering around 86 degrees.
With the near-empty stands, Saturday’s highlights will be left to Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt as he begins his campaign for three gold medals. Bolt is likely to be the obvious winner in the 100- and 200-meters as teammate Yohan Black is out injured and American star Tyson Gay has been suspended after testing positive for banned substances.
