Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya celebrates after winning the men's elite group at the London Marathon 2018 in London, Britain on April 22, 2018. (Xinhua/Richard Washbrooke)

LONDON, April 22 (Xinhua) -- Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge won the London Marathon for a third time while his compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot took the women's race here on Sunday.

Four-time Olympic champion and local favorite Mo Farah, competing in his first marathon after retiring from the track after the 2017 world championships, broke the British record and finished third.

Kipchoge, regarded as one of the greatest marathon runners of all time, beat Ethiopia's Tola Shura Kitata and Farah to win his third race in four years in two hours four minutes and 17 seconds in record-high temperatures of 23.2 degrees Celsius.

The 33-year-old became the third man after compatriot Martin Lel and Mexican Dionicio Ceron to win the London Marathon three times.

Kitarta was 32 seconds behind for the second and Farah crossed the line in 2:06:21 to beat Steve Jones' 33-year-old British record.

Cheruiyot, who was expected to beat Paula Radcliffe's world record, won the women's title in an personal best 2:18:31, more than three minutes slower than the 2:15:25 four-time British Olympian Radcliffe ran in 2003.

Olympic 5,000m champion Cheruiyot ran her first marathon in London last year and finished fourth overall before winning in Frankfurt in October.

Kenya's Brigid Kosgei finished second in 2:20:13, with Ethiopia's Tadelech Bekele third in 2:21:30.