Liz the whizz is the biz - Yelling is on her way to Beijing after career-best performance

Yelling has been Radcliffe's friend since they joined the same Bedford club as children. She is coached by the same coach, Alex Stanton, and it is a knowledgeable spectator who would not confuse the two tall blondes.

Radcliffe, the world record holder, was an absentee from the Flora London Marathon yesterday, having withdrawn more than a month ago because a damaged toe had interfered with her training.

But the interruptions to Yelling's Olympic preparations were of her own choosing. She moved to a house needing renovation in Bournemouth, and spent three months living with husband Martin in a camper van and working in overalls. "Running was my chance to take time out from the upheaval," she said.

Being used to the cold of living in a vehicle the size of a Transit meant she was able to cope with the cold wind and chilling rain thrown at the runners yesterday — and so was Martin, a fun runner who finished only 20 minutes behind her in 2hr 48min — but a career best time of 2:28:33, which earned her ninth place in the women's race, was only a bonus.

Beating Scottish rival Hayley Haining was the primary goal. Both were qualified for Beijing on time but there was only one slot left after Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi confirmed their places with performances last year. Yelling set off quickly, keeping company with the leaders, while Haining, a clinical pathologist in Glasgow, chose to run at her own pace.

They met finally after 19 miles on a roundabout on the Isle of Dogs, Yelling leaving it as Haining came on to it. "It was the wake-up call. She was obviously speeding up. I had to raise my game," said Yelling. Haining did not give chase.

"There was still a long way to go. I decided to sit tight and run conservatively," said Haining. She did not see Yelling again until after the finish line, her only reward for conservatism a career best time of 2:29:18 for 12th place. "I'd be pretty disappointed if they didn't pick me now," said Yelling. "It's been really nice to have some attention this week with Paula and Mara not here. And this year they didn't get my name wrong. Things are looking up for me."

Without Radcliffe to give a lead, the women's race was the slowest for eight years, won in 2:24:14 by Irina Mikitenko, 35, a pairs figure skater who placed third in her age group at the Soviet Championships until she was 11, ran for Kazakhstan at the 1996 Olympic Games and will represent Germany in Beijing.

It might have been different but pre-race favourite Gete Wami fell badly at a drinks station at Canary Wharf and finished limping in third place behind the Russian Svetlana Zakharova.

The men's race was won by Kenyan Martin Lel for the third time in four years, and again it was his ability as a sprinter which won it for him.

Speed worthy of a miler did for the opposition of Kenyan compatriot Sammy Wanjiru and Moroccan Abderrahim Goumri. Lel covered the 26th mile in 4min 49sec to break Goumri's spirit and then the last 400 metres in under a minute to shake off Wanjiru.

All three surpassed the six-yearold course record of America's Moroccan-born Khalid Khannouchi, Lel's winning time of 2:05:15 earning him a time bonus of $75,000 to add to the winner's prize of $55,000. That pales to insignificance beside the $500,000 annual bonus awarded by World Marathon Majors, which is almost certainly his now. Only a rival winning the Olympic gold and another autumn marathon can overhaul him.

It will add handsomely to his portfolio of five grocery shops, four apartment blocks and the 30-acre farm he owns from the fruits of his running and more than adequately compensate him for the panicked flight to Namibia he was forced into when the inter-tribal killings broke out in his region after the Kenyan elections in January.

Britain's Olympic marathon team for Beijing will be named after a meeting at the weekend, and there can be no doubt that one man on the list will be Dan Robinson.

Eleventh in last year's World Championships, he lost out in a private duel yesterday with Olympic champion Stefano Baldini for 12th but a time of 2:13:06 will be enough to convince selectors he is worthy.

Sadly for those looking to a future for British marathon running, the four who will go to Beijing will all be closer to 40 than 30 by the London Games in 2012.