Madrid – Francis Kiprop of Kenya won the Madrid marathon on Sunday, a race marked by a minute's silence before the start in commemoration of the victims of the Boston bombings.
Kiprop finished in 2 hours, 10 minutes, 37 seconds, with Vanessa Veiga of Spain winning the women's event in 2:36.38.
Some 26,000 runners participated, many holding forefinger and thumb together to make a lower-case “b” as a symbol of solidarity with the victims of the two bombs that exploded near the Boston Marathon's finish line.
Spanish authorities beefed up security for the marathon, deploying 1,100 police and other security personnel.
Madrid is competing with Tokyo and Istanbul for the right to host the 2020 Olympics. The winner will be announced in September. – Sapa-AP