Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner enjoy London wheelchair wins

Course records are smashed by the Swiss para-athletes on the streets of London on Sunday

There was a Swiss double in the wheelchair races as Marcel Hug and Catherine Debrunner took victories in big course record times.

The same duo won the wheelchair races in Berlin seven days earlier and here in London they ruled the roads again.

Hug, 36, clocked 1:24:38 to smash the course mark by one minute and 49 seconds. But he only won by two seconds from Daniel Romanchuk after the American’s attempt to overtake Hug on the inside on the final bend backfired as his wheel hit the kerb and he lost momentum.

Debrunner, meanwhile, capitalised on the dry conditions in the British capital as she clocked 98:24 to break the course best by one minute and 29 seconds. The 27-year-old’s first-ever marathon was in Berlin last week but has taken to the distance in style.

The spate of race-week drop-outs affected the wheelchair races too with Madison de Rozario and Manuela Schär withdrawing on the morning of the race – and Schar even travelled to the start before deciding not to race.

Eight-time winner David Weir finished third in the men’s race after using his famed power and experience to out-sprint Tomoki Suzuki of Japan down The Mall as they both clocked 90:41.

READ MORE: 2022 London Marathon coverage

The wheelchair races enjoyed much higher prize money than previous years too as the prize pot has risen in 2022 to $199,500 with the winners getting $35,000 each.

“I’m really pleased with today’s win but it was a really tough one,” said Hug. “Daniel was very strong today.”

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