WANJIRU OUT OF LONDON MARATHON **Three-Time Champion Lel to Replace Him** By David Monti (c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission
Samuel Wanjiru's woes --which recently included an arrest for threatening his wife and possessing an illegal weapon, and a car accident-- now include the loss of his spring marathon. The reigning Olympic and World Marathon Majors champion has been forced to withdraw from next month's Virgin London Marathon with a knee injury, organizers said today.
"I am bitterly disappointed not to be able to race in London this year," Wanjiru, 24, said through a news release. "Winning the London Marathon in 2009 was one of the great achievements of my career and I was hoping to become the London champion again." He continued: "But I have been suffering some problems with my right knee recently which meant I had to withdraw from the Lisbon Half-Marathon (last Sunday). Unfortunately, it has not responded well enough for me to make my final preparations for London."
After winning last October's Bank of America Chicago Marathon in a thrilling sprint finish over Ethiopian Tesgaye Kebede, Wanjiru has faced several difficulties. Last December, he was arrested at his home in Nyahururu and charged with threatening his wife, striking a security guard, and possessing an illegal AK-47 rifle. Wanjiru was released on bail, and his wife later withdrew her charges against him (he still faces the weapons charge, however). Wanjiru was also involved in a car accident last January on the Nairobi-Nyahururu road, rolling his four wheel drive vehicle several times trying to avoid an oncoming truck.
Acting quickly, London race director Dave Bedford has added three-time London champion Martin Lel to the field (both athletes are represented by Federico Rosa of Brescia, Italy). Lel, 32, who has a 2:05:15 personal best, won the London race in 2005, 2007 and 2008. Struggling with his own injury problems, Lel hasn't run a marathon since finishing fourth at the Olympic Games in 2008. He has, however, completed several half-marathons, winning both the 2009 Lisbon and Great North Half-Marathons and breaking one hour in both events.
"Of course, we are very sad to lose the Olympic champion from our line-up as Sammy was a great champion here two years ago," Bedford said in a statement. "We wish him a speedy recovery from his injury problems."
The 31st edition of the Virgin London Marathon will be held on Sunday, April 17. A history of the event's winners can be accessed at the web site of the Association of Road Racing Statisticians at http://www.arrs.net/HP_LonMa.htm.
