The 22nd London Marathon goes down in history as the fastest ever after records tumbled on Sunday. The cool and sunny conditions were ideal for distance running and the world's best soon took advantage. Khalid Khannouchi triumphed over the finest men's marathon field ever assembled to beat his own world record. But for most running fans, the day belonged to Paula Radcliffe, who showed her customary tenacity and passion to clinch the women's race. Making her marathon debut, the plucky British star easily out-classed her tough opponents, clocking the fastest time in a women's-only race. She also came desperately close to the overall world record, falling just nine seconds short of Catherine Ndereba's time in last year's Chicago marathon. The men's race proved to be a closer tussle with Khannouchi outlasting distance great Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat in a tight contest. The Moroccan-born American broke away in the final two miles to win in a time of 2:05:38, beating his previous world record by four seconds. Elsewhere, Britain's Tanni Grey-Thompson notched up her sixth victory in the women's wheelchair race in London, while compatriot Dave Weir won the men's race.
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