Uganda's Kiprotich denies Kenyans in men's marathon

Stephen Kiprotich won the first medal for Uganda at the London Olympics.
He finished in 2 hours 8 minutes 1 second, edging Abel Kirui and Wilson Kipsang.
Kiprotich's victory denied Kenya a gold medal sweep in the Olympic marathons.

A jubliant Stephen Kiprotich cruises to the ffinish line
in the men's marathon. Mike Groll/AP

LONDON (AP):
A runner named Kiprotich winning the Olympic marathon? Hardly a surprise.
That he was the one from Uganda and not Kenya? Major surprise.

Stephen Kiprotich rounded a corner with three miles left and simply took off, turning the last mile into a victory lap as he easily captured the marathon Sunday, along with the first medal for Uganda at the London Games.

"People didn't expect Uganda. They thought Kenya, Ethiopia," Kiprotich said. "Being unknown, now I'm known."

Sure is.

Kiprotich won in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 1 second as he pulled away from the Kenyan duo of Abel Kirui and Wilson Kiprotich Kipsang, who was the "Kiprotich" favored in this race. Kirui ended up with the silver while Kipsang held on for bronze just ahead of American Meb Keflezighi.

On a warm afternoon, the marathoners wound their way through a scenic route packed with swarms of fans, breezing past Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, London Bridge and the Tower of London before finishing near Buckingham Palace.

And by the time he neared the finish line, Stephen Kiprotich had such a commanding lead that he grabbed a flag from the stands and wore it on his way to gold.

After finishing, he dropped to his knees, bowed and then raised his hands high over his head.

A moment to cherish because these haven't happened all that often for Uganda. This was the country's seventh Olympic medal in any sport and second gold. John Akii-Bua, a 400-meter hurdler, won the other gold 40 years ago in Munich.

"I made history with my people," Kiprotich said.
"They didn't expect me to win. I was keeping behind them, keeping the fire burning. When they go, they thought they'd left me, but I was there.

"I kept in touch. Later, I said, 'I believe in myself.' Then, I made my move." ....
(The rest was abbreviated.)