LONDON — They crossed the line in front of Buckingham Palace with black ribbons on their chests and the Boston Marathon victims on their minds.
Six days after bombs exploded near the Boston finish line, the London Marathon sent out a powerful message of solidarity with the U.S. city and its victims Sunday and put the spotlight back on the sport and away from terrorist fears.
The men’s race began with a poignant 30-second period of silence to remember Boston’s dead and injured and ended with a thrilling finish.
Under clear blue skies, Tsegaye Kebede chased down Emmanuel Mutai in the closing stages and overtook the tiring Kenyan to secure a second London title on The Mall in 2 hours, 6 minutes and 4 seconds, while compatriot Ayele Abshero was third.
“What happened in Boston, it shocked everybody – I didn’t want to believe it,” said Kebede, who also won in London in 2010. “Sport is not like that – sport is not political. Sport is free from everything. We have to focus more on sport. This is for them (in Boston).
“This is education for those who made this accident.”
The women’s race was won by Olympic silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo of Kenya in 2:20:15.
About 34,000 runners competed in London, and organizers pledged to donate 2 pounds ($3) for every finisher to “The One Fund Boston” set up to raise money for the bomb victims.
Before the silence at the start of the race, announcer Geoff Wightman urged athletes to “remember our friends and colleagues for whom a day of joy turned into a day of sadness.”