Morocco's Jaouad Gharib second in London Marathon

Morocco's reigning world champion, Jaouad Gharib crossed, here Sunday, the 25th Flora London Marathon finish line second after Kenyan Martin Lel.

Lel (26), a road-running specialist who also won the 2003 New York marathon, clocked two hours seven minutes and 26 seconds.

The 2003 world marathon champion, Jaouad Gharib, came from behind to finish second in 2h 07min and 49s, one position up on his finish last year.

South Africa's Hendrik Ramaala came third in 2h 08min and 32s ahead of Morocco's Abdelkader El-Mouaziz, twice a London champion (1999 and 2001), who clocked 2h 09min and 03s and Olympian champion, Italian Stefano Baldini (2h 09 min 25s).

Jouad Gharib is the world semi-marathon vice-champion in Brussels 2002 and 10,000m gold medallist in the Mediterranean games of Tunis 2001. He is also twice cross country bronze medallist with the Moroccan cross-country team in Dublin 2002 and Lausanne 2003.

Gharib (33) finished eleventh in the Olympic Games of Athens 2004.