Martin Lel's challenge for a record fourth victory in the Flora London Marathon was in doubt today after the Kenyan runner revealed he had a hip injury.

Lel, who smashed the six-year-old course record last April to leave it at 2hr 5min 15 sec, said: “I felt something in my hip on Sunday. Until then my preparations for the race had gone so well.

“I'm going for an MRI scan tonight, and I'm hoping everything will be okay. I always look forward to the London Marathon, the competition is always so good that if you win you can consider yourself to be champion of champions.”
If he is passed fit, 30-year-old Lel will defend his title on Sunday against a field that includes fellow Kenyan and Beijing Olympic gold medalist Sammy Wanjiru and Morocco's Abderrahim Goumri, who 12 months ago was beaten into second place by just three seconds on his debut over the distance.
Lel's course record in 2008 was the product of blistering pace that saw three men break 2hr 6min and a further three come in under 2hrs 7mins.
Lel's performance guaranteed his place on Kenya's team for the Beijing Games where, in the strength-sapping heat, he collaborated with team-mate Wanjiru in the fastest marathon at a major championships.
Wanjiru eventually obliterated the Olympic record in 2:06:32 while Lel dropped back to finish fifth.
He said: “I had suffered from malaria and going to the Olympics I didn't think I would even finish in the top 10.”