LEL IS YOUNGEST MAN EVER TO WIN FIVE MAJORS
By David Monti with Marty Post
(c) 2008 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.
April 15, 2008-
The good news just keeps coming for Kenya's Martin Lel. The 29
year-old leader of the 2007/2008 World Marathon Majors points series
has become the youngest man ever to win five Majors events: London
three times and New York City twice.
Lel, who sprinted away from compatriot Samuel Wanjiru at the Flora
London Marathon last Sunday to win in a course record and personal best
2:05:15, is also the first man to achieve this career milestone before
age 30. The previous youngest five-time winner was Khalid Khannouchi,
running for both Morocco and the United States, who was 30 years 295
days when he won his fifth lifetime Major at the 2002 LaSalle Bank
Chicago Marathon.
American legend Bill Rodgers has won more Majors over a career than any
other man with eight. He won the New York City and Boston Marathons
four times, each.
Next Monday in Boston Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot, who is also 29 but 33 days older than Lel, can join Lel as another
five-time Majors champion. He's already won Boston three times and
Chicago once.