U.K. woman dies in London Marathon

— A 30-year-old woman who collapsed and died less than a mile from the finish of yesterday’s London marathon was identified as a hairdresser from the English midlands, the Daily Mail said.

Claire Squires lived in North Kilworth in Leicestershire and was attempting her second marathon, the newspaper said. She collapsed on Birdcage Walk in central London, just short of the finish line of the 26.2-mile run, and was given immediate medical attention, organizers said.

Squires was the 10th participant to die during the race since it started in 1981, with the last fatality coming in 2007. More than 37,000 people took part in the event through central London yesterday. She was raising funds for Samaritans, a U.K. counseling service for people with depression. More than 5,100 people had donated on her website, pledging more than 60,000 pounds ($97,000), most of which came after her death.

Wilson Kipsang won the men’s race on a day of Kenyan domination. His compatriot Mary Keitany won the women’s event, her second straight victory in the race.

Kipsang clocked a time of two hours, four minutes and 44 seconds, four seconds slower than the course record. The race started in southeast London and ended at the Mall, near Buckingham Palace.

Three-time London champion Martin Lel of Kenya was second in 2:06:51 as he overtook Ethiopia’s Tsegaye Kebede, the 2010 winner, in the final stages.

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