19.04.04 Mexico Sets Athens Pace in London Marathon

Mexico's Raul Mendoza applied more pressure on fellow Paralympian Wheelchair Marathon contenders this Sunday (18th April) by winning the 26 mile London Marathon.

Mendoza's winning time of 1 hour:36:56 beat Britain's David Weir into 2nd place - (ablebodied winner, Kenya's Evans Rutto time, 2 hours:06:18).

Avoiding the wet and windy weather of the London Event was last years winner, the Frenchman Joel Jeannot preferring instead a warmer Boston marathon which takes place on Monday (19th April).

Mendoza who holds the world's 2nd fastest time for this distance made things difficult for himself by inadvertantly following a police motorbike in the wrong direction. Luckily only briefly.

Boston Marathon Update 20.4.04
France's Joel Jeannot was beaten into 2nd place by South Africa's Ernst Van Dyk, his winning time of 1 hour:18:27 was a new Boston Marathon course record and more than 2.30 minutes ahead of the Frenchman.

Switzerland's challenger Franz Nietlispach finished 3rd from a total Mens wheelchair field of 40. Hot weather of nearly 30ºC provided the athletes with a useful warm up for Athens.

Sport : Athletics