Martin Lel and Samuel Wanjiru on the story of the picture

On the eve of the 2009 Flora London Marathon spikesmag.com looks back to this shot of the finish of the 2008 race by speaking to race winner Martin Lel and second-placed Samuel Wanjiru. Lel had just won his third London Marathon in a course record of 2:05:15. Wanjiru, running in only his second marathon, ran 2:05:24.

Martin Lel – The three-time winner of the London Marathon:

“I was so happy because I had just won the title. It was my quickest race in London and we had a great race. So I turned around to Wanriju to say well done because we are really good mates. I am great friends with Sammy and one thing I know from Wanjiru is he is a man who I can identify with and he can understand me.

"We discuss other things like businesses. He has a big farm and I have a grocery store back in Eldoret, Kenya. I buy his maize from his farm and sometimes we share a bit of advice about business, so we don’t only talk about athletics but also business and I share ideas with him.

"When I got really lucky in sport and I got money for business I bought a grocery store. I have a small 30-acre farm and I sell goods like vegetables, sugar, soaps and kerosene. I serve behind the counter in the store, maybe once a month. I think people get so surprised I am serving and they are maybe a little in awe of me as this marathon runner, but I say don’t fear me. During my break time once a month I work there."

Sammy Wanjiru – 2008 London Marathon runner-up and Olympic marathon champion:

“It was very hard, because you know last year it was raining from 7km and it was very cold and after finishing I was very tired. I finished in second place – it was only my second marathon, so second place was very fine for me. A marathon is always very hard after 30km. I am on my knees at the end of a race to pray to God. Martin said well done and he shook my hand and said thank you to God. It is sometimes difficult to beat a friend and we have a good friendship, but, obviously, when we race we have no friendship.

"I first met Martin at the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2006 and we have become good friends. We share the same manager and sometimes we train together in Kenya and we sometimes speak on the phone. We talk about business and athletics and what we need to break the world record.

"I have a 100-acre maize farm and I sometimes sell maize to Martin’s grocery store."