Phil Wicks (red top) and Stefano Baldini run past Big Ben. © www.photorun.net

Just 48 hours after two cars were found loaded with explosives in London, 24,000 runners took to the streets of the English capital, and ran on some of the roads that had been closed during Friday’s scare. Most of the runners, however, were more concerned about the rain that had flooded England over the past week. Olympic marathon champion Stefano Baldini (Italy) and Hilda Kibet (Kenya) ran through the rain and wind to win the London 10K.

Right from the start, Baldini dashed to the lead, passing through Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square with Phil Wicks (Great Britain) and Simon Tanui (Kenya) in tow. Along the Victoria Embankment, Baldini still set the pace. “I really pushed the first 5K too hard,” Baldini later said. He passed 5K in 14:12. “But then I hit the wind and at 8K it was really tough going over Westminster Bridge.” As Baldini approached the bridge, Wicks ran alongside him, and took a slight lead before recrossing the bridge. But then Baldini put the hammer down and opened a gap of 15 meters, which he held to the finish line. He crossed the line in 29:27 with an Olympic torch from the 1948 London Olympic Games. Wicks ran 29:33, and Tanui took third in 30:35.

The women’s event was to be a battle among the world cross country champion, Lornah Kiplagat (Netherlands); the world marathon champion from 2003, Catherine Ndereba (Kenya); and Kiplagat’s cousin and training partner, Kibet. “This will be my last competition prior to the World Championships,” Kiplagat said before the start. She then ran straight to the lead as usual, but within 600 meters pulled out with a calf injury. Kibet found herself in the lead, and stayed there to the finish, unchallenged by Ndereba. Ndereba suffered a slight hamstring injury in May, causing her to start slowly in most events. Kibet clocked 32:34, while Ndereba ran 33:11. Ndereba will now go back to Kenya before running the Sapporo Half Marathon next weekend in Japan. Banuela Katesigwa (Tanzania) took third in 35:31.

Haile Gebrselassie Breaks Two World Records in Ostrava

Haile Gebrselassie broke two world records in one race at the Super Grand Prix Athletics Meeting in Ostrava. The 34-year-old improved the previous best in the one-hour race to 21,285 meters, or roughly 200 meters more than a half marathon. On the way to this mark he also broke the world record for 20,000m, passing that mark in 56:25.98. These were world records 22 and 23 for the Ethiopian, who is regarded as one of the best athletes ever. (Occasionally he is credited with 24 world records, but when he ran the fastest time ever for 25K on the roads last year, that mark was not officially ratified due to technical problems.)

“It was a fantastic day,” said Gebrselassie. “At halfway I thought that I would be able to get the record. The spectators were so supportive—and they have a share in my success.” When he had attempted to break this world record five years ago, he had to stop because of a calf problem. This time, he improved the 16-year-old world record of Arturo Barrios by 184 meters.

Gebrselassie will run the real,- Berlin-Marathon on September 30, which he won last year in 2:05:56, the fastest time of the year. The Ethiopian will obviously try to break the world and course record of Kenya’s Paul Tergat (2:04:55) in Berlin.

Jo Pavey Qualifies for World Championships with 10,000m Personal Best

During a track meet in Watford, England, Jo Pavey qualified for the World Championships in Osaka at the end of August. The English star had to break the qualifying standard of 31:40 in unsuitably windy conditions. But the 33-year-old, helped by pacemakers, clocked 31:26.94, improving her personal best by 54 seconds.