TORONTO -- Kawhi Leonard was subbed out of Saturday's 108-95 Game 1 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers with just more than three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Up to that point, he had made 16 of the 23 shots he attempted and 10 of 11 free throws to bring his scoring total to 45 points.

It was a career playoff high for the Toronto Raptors superstar and tied for the most he had scored in any game of his NBA career.

Leonard said he wished he was pulled from the game sooner.

"I was trying to get out of the game before it got to that point," Leonard said after his team took a 1-0 lead in its Eastern Conference semifinals series. "We were up 20 points with probably like five minutes left, and I was already looking at the bench trying to get them to come and take me out of the game."

Another minute or two and Leonard could have steered some more of the best-player-in-the-game conversation away from Kevin Durant, who pumped in 50 points Friday for the Golden State Warriors. A couple more made shots and he could have joined Vince Carter as the only Raptors to score 50 in a postseason game. Instead, Leonard settled for being one of two Raptors to score 40-plus in the playoffs.

The win, he said, was good enough.

"This individual stuff, it's not big for me," Leonard said. "To reach these goals, it's great when you do it and you could win. But our focus is every game trying to win the ballgame. That's why we're playing this game. We're not playing so I could score 50 or get 40 points. We're all on this team trying to say, 'Raptors win,' at the end of the day."

Leonard's offensive onslaught started early, as he scored 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting in the first quarter and Toronto led by as many as 14 in the opening frame. His outburst -- the 17 points tied his personal best for points in a playoff quarter -- helped exorcise the Raptors' Game 1 playoff demons, as the franchise was 2-14 all-time in series openers coming into the night.

Pascal Siakam, who finished with 29 points on 12-for-15 shooting, was right there with Leonard, equaling his first-quarter total of 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting. It was the first time two teammates each scored 15 points or more in the first quarter of a game over the past 15 postseasons, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

"Obviously, if Kawhi is going off too, you know he's going to get some attention and kind of open up the floor for me too," Siakam said.

At one point, the Raptors hit 13 consecutive field goal attempts in the first quarter, the longest streak in franchise postseason history. Leonard and Siakam combined for 11 of those makes.

"He's a spectacular player, and he had a spectacular night, and he hit some spectacular shots," 76ers guard JJ Redick said when asked about Leonard. "He's a superstar. He's as good as there is in the NBA at generating his own shot and making tough shots. Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to 'em. I'm not going go into what our game plan was, but I think we can execute our game plan a little better. Clearly we need to figure out what we're doing with him and Siakam."

The Raptors were surprised Leonard saw so much single coverage. Jimmy Butler started the game on him, and by the time Ben Simmons got the assignment, Leonard was already rolling.

"Personally, I think I did a pretty good job overall, but he's a tough player, he's Kawhi," Simmons said. "He's a physical guy, a lot of length, can shoot the ball. So he's a tough guy to match up with."

As a team, though?

"I don't think we showed enough help," Simmons said of the Sixers' defense on Leonard.

Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said Simmons could play more on Leonard in Game 2 on Monday, but he still wants to use some combination of Simmons, Butler and Tobias Harris on the Leonard-Siakam pairing.

"Could we see [Simmons] more on Kawhi? Maybe," Brown said. "Maybe some of the others we need to [be] better and give him help with crowds. ... Our intention was multiple defensive players on Kawhi out of that group that I just said."

Meanwhile, the Toronto tandem of Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka was incredibly effective on Joel Embiid, holding the Philadelphia big man to 16 points on 5-of-18 shooting.

"It's extremely important because he can go do a lot of things and he can take over a game. He can go wild on you. It was great," Raptors coach Nick Nurse said of containing Embiid. "He was taking some tougher shots. I thought we had him picking up the ball a little further away than maybe he wanted a few times. ... I thought we were crowding the paint a little bit, making it look a little crowded in there for him so he wasn't comfortable."

And Leonard gave the home team the comfort of a 1-0 lead.

"I guess not maybe surprising but pretty dang good tonight," Nurse said. "That was again a big-time performance at both ends. I just like the force he's playing with at both ends, but especially when he's getting the ball. He's pushing it up the floor, he's punching the gaps with force, he's determined to get to spaces.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised, but that was pretty cool to watch tonight."

NEW YORK -- The newest member of the Milwaukee Brewers is a familiar face.

Gio Gonzalez is back after finalizing a $2 million, one-year contract, and the veteran left-hander will start Sunday's series finale against the New York Mets. Gonzalez also played for Milwaukee last season, helping the Brewers win the National League Central and make it to the NL Championship Series after he was acquired in an Aug. 31 trade with Washington.

The 33-year-old Gonzalez was a welcome sight for the weary Brewers after their rain-delayed 10-2 victory over the Mets in Friday's series opener.

"He brought some energy today already to the clubhouse," manager Craig Counsell said before Saturday's game against New York. "He's well rested, everybody else isn't."

Milwaukee designated reliever Jake Petricka for assignment to make room for Gonzalez, who is 127-97 with a 3.69 ERA in 313 career big league games. Right-hander Junior Guerra was activated from the bereavement list, and infielder Tyler Saladino was optioned to Triple-A San Antonio.

Gonzalez went 3-0 with a 2.13 ERA in five starts with the Brewers last season. He also started two games in the NLCS against the Dodgers, allowing two runs in three innings.

He signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in March, but he opted out of the deal after going 2-1 with a 6.00 ERA in three starts covering 15 innings at Triple-A.

Back on the market after a long winter, Gonzalez decided to rejoin the Brewers rather than sign with the Mets.

"The chemistry we built together, the good team and the friendship -- a lot of the guys stayed in touch just to see how I was doing," Gonzalez said. "That means the world to me as a person."

Milwaukee promised an immediate spot in the rotation. The Brewers' starting pitchers have struggled so far.

"It was a tough decision," Gonzalez said. "The Brewers came in and met my expectations, my needs. Either way, it was a win-win for me. Two great teams that are coming at you right now."

Gonzalez can earn an additional $2 million in performance bonuses based on a system of two points for each pitching appearance of three or more innings and one for each outing of less than three innings. He would get $333,333 each for 25, 30, 35 and 40 points, and $333,334 apiece for 45 and 50.

He is 15-6 with a 2.83 ERA in 26 career starts against the Mets. But he likely will be limited Sunday in his first game action since his most recent minor league start, April 14.

"He's thrown up to 90 [pitches], I think 93 pitches, in his last start," Counsell said. "So he's stretched out as much as a Chase Anderson was before his first start for us last week."

Anderson lasted five innings in his first start of the season last Sunday.

"We'll definitely be careful with it, but no concerns about him being ready to start," Counsell said.

LOS ANGELES -- Three starts into his delayed season and Clayton Kershaw already appears back to his usual form.

Kershaw earned his first win, allowing one run over seven innings to outpitch Joe Musgrove and help the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-1 on Saturday night.

Chris Taylor hit a tying sacrifice fly and Joc Pederson followed with a two-run triple as the Dodgers rallied for three runs in the seventh inning and sent the Pirates to their season-high seventh straight loss.

Kershaw (1-0), making his third start after recovering from shoulder inflammation, gave up four hits, struck out eight and walked none, retiring 13 of his last 14 batters. He has a 2.25 ERA and has not given up more than two earned runs in any of his three starts.

The three-time Cy Young Award winner is not usually one to compare outings, but he did say this was an improvement over his last, when he gave up two runs over six innings at Milwaukee, while walking four.

"I felt pretty much the same,'' Kershaw said about his strength as he builds into his season. "I think the one before this one was a little rockier. Not stronger or weak, just a little more inconsistent. But I felt great tonight and I need to keep building on this one.''

Pittsburgh went ahead in the third when Pablo Reyes singled leading off, was sacrificed to second by Musgrove and scored on Adam Frazier's single.

From there, Kershaw matched Musgrove (1-2) pitch for pitch until the Dodgers broke through late in the game.

"This is a tough stretch we're going through right now,'' Musgrove said. "As a starting pitcher, I embrace the challenge. It's my turn to go out there and set the tone and try and control the game. I came one out short of that tonight.''

Caleb Ferguson allowed the Pirates to load the bases with no outs in the eighth on two walks and a single.

Pedro Baez retired Melky Cabrera on a fly out and Colin Moran on a popup that dropped next to third baseman Justin Turner after an infield fly was called. Baez then struck out Josh Bell.

"Bases loaded and nobody out is a pretty impossible situation,'' Kershaw said. "[Baez] was unbelievable. He dominated it and got us out of there. I can't say enough about [Baez]. That was awesome tonight.''

Kenley Jansen pitched a perfect ninth for his ninth save in 10 chances, completing a five-hitter.

Singles by Max Muncy and Alex Verdugo started the Dodgers' rally. Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli took a glancing blow to his left side as Muncy scored, but a video review determined there was nothing improper with Muncy's slide.

Musgrove allowed three runs and seven hits in 6⅔ innings, ending the Dodgers' major league record of hitting a home run in 33 consecutive home games. Musgrove gave up just five earned runs in his first five starts.

"He's very collected, he's a fierce competitor and he expects a lot out of himself,'' Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "He pours into his teammates. He is an absolute pleasure to coach and have on a club.''

BUMP AND A RUN

Cervelli was met on the field by a trainer after Muncy bumped him while scoring his run in the seventh inning. Hurdle was asked about the play afterward.

"We'll talk about it internally,'' Hurdle said. "There is no need to share it publicly.''

Muncy said he meant no ill will.

"I didn't want to hit him; I didn't mean to hit him. I can tell you that right now,'' Muncy said. "It wasn't on purpose. It was one those things where I'm running straight for it and he came up the line, so I raised my arm to brace in case we hit each other and I clipped him. That's the end of it.

"If they feel the need to retaliate, that's fine. They'll retaliate and I'll be on base and smile because that raises my on-base percentage.''

Cervelli, who said he took the blow to his ribs, was asked if he thought the bump was necessary.

"I don't know,'' he said. "You've got to ask him. I don't know. I've got no idea.''

TRAINER'S ROOM

Pirates: RHP Chris Archer was placed on the 10-day IL with right thumb inflammation. ... OF Corey Dickerson will not start his expected minor league injury rehabilitation assignment after experiencing more shoulder discomfort. ... OF Lonnie Chisenhall had his rehab assignment for a broken finger halted because of left calf tightness. ... C Jacob Stallings (neck) started a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis.

Dodgers: C Russell Martin was activated off the IL after not playing since April 8 because of a back inflammation. C Rocky Gale was optioned to Triple-A Oklahoma City.

UP NEXT

Dodgers LHP Rich Hill will make his 2019 debut after recovering from a left knee strain. Pittsburgh RHP Trevor Williams (1-1) heads into Sunday's outing with quality starts in all five of his outings but just 11 runs of support.

The New York Mets designated Travis d'Arnaud for assignment Sunday, one day after the slumping catcher was booed repeatedly by fans at Citi Field.

D'Arnaud missed most of last season because of an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He had gotten off to a slow start this season, with only two hits in his first 23 at-bats.

The Mets announced the roster move before Sunday's game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Catcher Tomas Nido was recalled from Triple-A Syracuse in a corresponding move.

Mets fans booed d'Arnaud before his first-at bat in the second inning and again after he struck out in the fourth inning of Saturday's 8-6 loss to the Brewers.

A rough night got worse three innings later, when d'Arnaud was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double, drawing more boos.

"That was an accumulation of everything with me,'' d'Arnaud told reporters, according to the New York Post. "I was probably being too aggressive being down by four runs."

D'Arnaud admitted, however, that his game is "not where I want it to be" and that he understands the fans' reaction.

"They want me to play better,'' d'Arnaud said. "I understand. I have to keep working."

D'Arnaud, 30, signed a one-year, $3.5 million deal this past offseason to stay with the Mets and serve as a backup catcher to Wilson Ramos. He has played his entire seven-year career with the Mets, batting .242 with 47 home runs in 407 games.

NEW YORK -- After Christian Yelich helped put Milwaukee ahead, Josh Hader prevented the Mets from coming back.

Yelich hit his major league-leading 14th home run, tying the record for most before May 1, and Hader needed just 20 pitches to retire six batters Saturday night and close out the Brewers' 8-6 victory over the New York Mets.

Yelich's fourth-inning homer off Noah Syndergaard (1-3) was the first on the road this season for the reigning NL MVP. His 14 homers matched Albert Pujols (2006) and Alex Rodriguez (2007) for the most through the first full month of the season.

"That's pretty cool. Obviously, those guys are pretty good baseball players," Yelich said. "I haven't really been thinking about it too much. Just head down, grinding. To be up there with those guys is definitely an honor."

Yelich finished with three hits, a walk and two RBIs, raising his average to .350, and he stole the 100th base of his big league career. He is batting .362 with 39 homers, 101 RBIs and 16 stolen bases in 93 games since last season's All-Star break.

"You enjoy watching players like this," Brewers manager Craig Counsell said. "I guess when you see a guy do it a lot, you lose some of the surprise."

Hader, who hadn't pitched since allowing a go-ahead homer to the Los Angeles Dodgers' Cody Bellinger last weekend, entered with two on and none out in the eighth and needed just 11 pitches to strike out Todd Frazier, Wilson Ramos and Jeff McNeil.

Hader struck out Pete Alonso and Robinson Cano on three pitches apiece in the ninth before throwing a first-pitch ball to Michael Conforto. The Mets' cleanup hitter grounded out, preventing Hader from becoming the first pitcher since Ugueth Urbina on April 19, 1998, to strike out six in a two-inning save.

"He kind of calmed the game down there a little bit," Yelich said. "But that's what he does. We weren't really expecting anything different."

Hader has a 3.61 ERA in 34 games since the All-Star break, striking out 83 while walking 15 over 47⅓ innings.

"This is not like an abnormal Josh outing," Counsell said. "He's done it many times before."

Hader had to close out what once appeared to be an easy win for the Brewers, who raced out to a 6-1 lead after six innings thanks in part to Eric Thames' two-run single in the third and Ben Gamel's homer in the fifth.

Brandon Woodruff (3-1) allowed one run on six hits in five innings, leaving with a 6-1 lead.

New York closed to 6-5 in the seventh when Amed Rosario hit a leadoff homer against Alex Wilson and Alonso hit a three-run homer against Alex Claudio, the rookie's ninth home run. New York could have had a bigger inning but Travis d'Arnaud made the first out when he was thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double.

Yelich singled home a run against Jeurys Familia in the eighth and Yasmani Grandal hit an RBI grounder that boosted the Brewers' lead to 8-5.

New York has lost a season-high three straight and dropped to 13-13 following a 9-4 start. Syndergaard gave up five runs, 10 hits and three walks in five innings on his bobblehead night. His ERA rose from 5.90 to 6.35.

"When it rains it pours, whether it's just some induced soft contact or just something that'll find a hole," Syndergaard said. "I had a quite a bit of those tonight, but also they tagged me for two home runs."

SLOPPY

Milwaukee's first run scored after Mike Moustakas hit a slow roller to third baseman J.D. Davis, whose throw to first beat Moustakas only or the ball to pop out of Alonso's glove. First-base umpire Todd Tichenor signaled out as Lorenzo Cain took a wide turn at second. Alonso picked up the ball, jogged toward second and threw to McNeil, coming in to cover second. The ball sailed off the glove of a leaping McNeil and into left field for an error as Cain scored.

"Jeff is coming in and Cain didn't see Jeff coming in behind him," Alonso said. "He was just coming in to cover the bag, and if I would have made a better throw, we probably would have got him."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Brewers: Woodruff ducked in the second inning to to avoid a line drive off the bat of Davis and was hit on his right shoulder. He was visited by a trainer and remained in the game. ... RHP Freddy Peralta (shoulder) began a rehab stint with Double-A Biloxi and allowed three runs in 4⅓ innings.

Mets: INF Jed Lowrie (left knee) continues to hit at extended spring training.

UP NEXT

Brewers LHP Gio Gonzalez (season debut), who signed a one-year deal Saturday, is 11-2 with a 1.75 ERA in 17 starts at Citi Field. Mets LHP Steven Matz (2-1) has a 3.27 ERA in his past 17 starts at Citi Field.

SAN FRANCISCO -- Just when life was beginning to get pretty good for the mostly no-name New York Yankees, it got even better with one booming swing Saturday afternoon. Hello, big leagues, meet the healthier, rejuvenated Gary Sanchez.

With the bases loaded in the top of fifth inning Saturday at Oracle Park, Sanchez did something he had struggled with his past two games: He turned on a two-strike pitch. Not only did he make contact with it, he made monster contact, putting the baseball in a place no defender could even dream about getting it.

"The past couple of games I've had some struggles at the plate, and when I'm able to connect like that, I feel happy, and I'm going to show some emotion," Sanchez said through an interpreter, reflecting on the way he dropped his bat, clapped his hands and yelled into his dugout as he began a home run trot.

Sanchez turned so well on the 90.6 mph middle-in sinker from veteran lefty Derek Holland that he dropped the ball a whopping 467 feet away from home plate, way up into the left-center bleacher seats. Daytime, nighttime, anytime, it's hard to hit a ball that far in one of the best pitcher's parks in the majors.

"I had to walk down the [dugout] steps and let out a yell," Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. "That's one that kind of sucks the life out of the building. That one gets you a little.

"That fires you up when you see one of our dudes step on one. I enjoy that."

From his view on the bases the day's starting pitcher, J.A. Happ, also enjoyed watching the mammoth shot that helped power New York to the 6-4 win over the host San Francisco Giants.

"I was at third base [as a baserunner], and I felt like he was going to maybe hit one foul through my chest at 110 [mph], but he ended up hitting it at 110 through the glove out there. That was incredible."

Sanchez's drive was the longest grand slam of the four-year-old Statcast era, and it was also the second-longest homer in the 19-year-old ballpark's history. Only Ian Desmond's 477-foot homer at the then-named AT&T Park on Aug. 15, 2015, was longer.

"I've seen him do that before," Happ said of Sanchez's first grand slam, "and that's a good sign for us."

It sure is. Remember, with 13 players -- among them superstars, All-Stars, a Rookie of the Year, a Rookie of the Year runner-up, and former Silver Slugger and MVP Award winners -- on its injured list, New York is trotting out its equivalent of the "B" team Bombers. The shuttle from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to the Bronx has been active this spring.

Just this past week alone, the Yankees have called up minor leaguers Joe Harvey, Stephen Tarpley and Thairo Estrada. They even pulled off a trade Thursday for Cameron Maybin, a 32-year-old veteran outfielder whom Cleveland had recently added to its farm system.

Only two players in the Yankees' series-opening starting lineup Friday had also appeared in the Opening Day lineup. That's how bare the cupboard has become for a big league team that has had to reach deep into its organizational depth and make a bevy of roster moves to stay afloat. Amazingly, despite the attrition, the Yankees have won 11 of their past 14 games and sit just 1½ games out of first place in the American League East.

With their share of close wins, late-game wins and wins that have hinged on pivotal baserunning decisions, pitching performances and power displays, the Yankees have started feeling a chemistry some think rivals their best of times in 2017 and 2018.

As Maybin, three days into his Yankees career, put it earlier this weekend: "There's a different energy" to the ballclub. It's a confident, loose energy that he last saw in 2017 when he was part of the World Series champion Houston Astros.

"Being in the minors [with the Indians], you know there's a little bit of every man for himself, which is the case anywhere guys are trying to prove themselves," Maybin said. "You don't see that here. It's we want to do something. We want to win."

Following another recent victory, Mike Tauchman, just one month into being a Yankee, kept smiling in the clubhouse and repeating two words: "This team."

"There's just something about having the intangibles necessary to win close games," Tauchman said. "This team has it."

After striking out two and giving up five hits in a scoreless seven-inning performance Saturday, Happ was given the Yankees' WWE-style championship belt, an honor that goes to the player deemed to have the best performance of the day. As is tradition with the belt winner, Happ addressed the team after the game. He had one message.

"One thing that I felt is, we're coming to the field and we're focused and confident when it's game time," Happ said. "When you combine those two things, that's a good recipe. It makes for cleaner games. You've noticed when we have clean games, we've come out on top for the most part.

"We've been focused and we're gaining more confidence as we go. It's fun."

Home runs like the blast Sanchez hit have that kind of team-wide galvanizing effect. Luke Voit 's eight homers have certainly helped keep the Yankees stabilized amid these injury-wracked few weeks. Some of the shots he has hit mirrored Sanchez's slam in the messages they've sent: Limping as they are, the Bronx Bombers still have boppers.

Sure, Saturday's slam is the only base hit Sanchez has had since his own return from the IL three games ago. But it's a sign that he's beginning to round back into form, picking up where he left off with his six-homer start before his injury.

After going 0-for-9 with seven strikeouts in his first few at-bats back from the left calf strain, Sanchez foresees more favorable numbers on his nearby horizon. It wasn't only the grand slam that showed him that -- a 389-foot seventh-inning fly out to center field did, too.

"Definitely the last two at-bats, I felt confident," Sanchez said. "And that's what you want. Now we've got to try to keep that consistency going."

The best part of the timing of Sanchez's suddenly sweet swinging is that it comes just ahead of a series of other key Yankees comebacks. Miguel Andujar (small labrum tear) could be back in the lineup in a week. In the couple of days after that, Troy Tulowitzki (left calf strain) could accompany him. Giancarlo Stanton (shoulder/left biceps strain) could be back a few days after them.

By mid-May, the once-beat-up Yankees will be infinitely healthier. And yes, scarier. Just think: If this is what they can do right now at half-strength, what more will they be able to do at full capacity? The possibilities could be endless.

Steve Smythe has 40 years-plus experience of bettering marathon time targets and he gives his thoughts on what’s required to improve certain marks from sub-2:00 to 4:30

Running sub-three used to be my speciality. I first achieved it in my first marathon in Harlow in 1976 and last did so in Seville 2017, which at the time was a world record span of 40 years. Two Americans have now done better but I can claim that I have one thing in common with Sir Mo, as I am a European record-holder of sorts.

This year’s London Marathon will be my 38th in the capital and I currently have an average of 2:52 for London and 2:49 overall for my 72 completed marathons. The averages will be getting slower every race but hopefully in my 44th consecutive year of marathon training, I can pass on what is required for each major time target.

Most people if running London would have already chosen a time target, which might not necessarily be one of the obvious half-hourly targets.

It is likely to be based on previous marathon times, then adjusted on how much training was achieved and specifically the number and quality of long runs and any recent half-marathon times and then further adjusted to take into account time lost in training through illness and injury.

Unfortunately, most London runners had to predict their times back in 2018, and if you have gained fitness you will have to start in the same pen which relates to your prediction, but if you are now aiming for a slower time, you can move down a pen.

Weather conditions might require minor adjustments to targets. Last year’s London was very hot and meant many runners were way down on their original expectations.

This year, heat will not be a problem but the wind (especially as it is a strong Westerly) could mean slower times.

As for the race itself, pacing is important. Obviously even pace is the best option but you may need to make adjustments because of the crowded start, the course’s hills (the downhill third mile gives you some time in hand), wind direction and traditionally how strong you are in the closing miles.

Being successful for achieving a target is dependent on picking a target that is attainable and then getting the pacing right and not suddenly allowing the occasion and adrenalin to override your previous judgement in what was possible.

The race has some very experienced pacers who are good for assistance but don’t overly rely on them as they may have started behind you and as they are usually capable of much faster than the target time might be prone to run faster than target time occasionally which they can easily cope with but a runner on the edge may not fare as well.

SUB-3:00 (6:52 per mile)

Last year 1113 broke three hours in hot conditions but 1935 did it in 2017, which is a far better example of typical London conditions so you roughly need to aim to come in the first 2000 positions to achieve this target.

Note 10 runners ran 3:00:00 or 3:00:01 that year but it is quite crowded throughout the 2:59s with 173 finishing in that minute – roughly three a second.

The average halfway time for those in the 2:59s was 1:28 with a fastest of 1:14:39 and a slowest of 1:30:42.

Most runners aiming for this target will have run a half-marathon time inside 1:25 or even better low 1:20s and a 10km inside 40 minutes.

The final runner to break 3:00 ran an 83 half-marathon in his build up and 39 for 10km that year.

On even pace runners should pass 5 miles in 34:21, 10 miles in 68:42, 15 miles in 1:43:03, 20 miles in 2:17:24, 25 miles in 2:51:45.

SUB-2:30 (5:43 per mile)

My own experience suggests this target is 60 times as hard as breaking three hours.

55 did it from the main race and 45 in the elite race in 2017.

Of those who ran 2:29 on the main start, the average halfway time was 74:00, the fastest was 70:52 and the slowest 74:50.

Most runners aiming for sub-2:30 would have run a half-marathon close to 1:10 and around 33:00 for 10km.

The final runner to break 2:30 had a 71:30 half-marathon and 32:30 10km time from the year before.

On even pace runners need to run 28:37 for 5 miles, 57:15 for 10 miles, 85:52 for 15 miles, 1:54:30 for 20 miles and 2:23:07 for 25 miles.

SUB-2:15 (5:09 per mile) or 2:15:25

Only 15 runners broke 2:15 in 2017. 10 did it in 2018.

Paula Radcliffe’s women’s world record has already stood for 16 years and could stand for another 16 as no other woman has broken 2:17.

Radcliffe was a 30:00 10km runner and had incredible endurance to hold a pace longer than any other woman.

Only a handful of women have run quicker than 30:00 for 10km and most of the other women in the sub 2:18 range have run the half-marathon around 65 minutes.

Generally, a runner wishing to break 2:30 will have to have run 30:00 for 10km and 65 for a half-marathon.

The runner closest to 2:15 in 2017 went through halfway in 66:41 and ran 64:27 for a half-marathon and ran 30:01 for 10km though has a 29:22 PB.

On even pace runners need to run 25:45 for 5 miles, 51:31 for 10 miles, 77:17 for 15 miles, 1:43:03 for 20 miles and 2:08:49 for 25 miles.

SUB-2:00 (4:34 per mile)

A few years ago, very few would believe that the world record would now be 2:01:39 but Eliud Kipchoge’s superb Berlin run means that the pace he managed is less than four seconds a mile down on the sub-2 target and he also ran a 2:00:25 paced run at Monza.

The sub-two is certainly closer than it was but a runner aiming to achieve that target would probably need to be able to run well inside 27:00 for 10km and low 57s for the half-marathon.

It’s worth noting that of history’s three fastest 10,000m runners – Kenenisa Bekele, Haile Gebrselassie and Paul Tergat – the latter two set world records at the marathon but only have respective bests of 2:03:03, 2:03:59, 2:04:55, which tends to suggest a low-26 10km may be necessary for a sub-2 attempt which does look many years away.

Runners attempting to break two hours would need to run just over 28:20 for each of their 10km splits.

SUB-3:30 (8:00 per mile)

6336 runners broke 3:30 in London in 2017. Note it is much busier around this time and 650 runners finished in the three-minute span between 3:27 and 3:30 at around four a second.

Of those who ran a time of 3:29, the average halfway time was 1:42, the fastest time was 1:23:55 and the slowest was 1:47:38.

Runners aiming for this time usually have times of around 1:35 for the half-marathon and 43:00 for 10km.

On even pace runners need to run 40:04 for 5 miles, 80:09 for 10 miles and 2:00:03 for 15 miles, 2:48:19 for 20 miles and 3:20:22 for 25 miles.

SUB-4:00 (9:09 per mile)

13383 runners broke 4:00 in London in 2017 and 1000 runners finished in the three-minute span between 3:57 and 4:00 as finishers are at the peak around this time with runners finishing between five and six a minute.

The fastest time for those who ran 3:59 at halfway was 1:19:48 and the slowest was 2:04:28 with the latter going 10 minutes quicker on the second half. The average was around 1:56.

Runners aiming for this time usually have PB times of around 1:45-1:50 for half-marathon and 47-50:00 for 10km.

On even pace, runners need to run 45:48 for 5 miles, 91:36 for 10 miles and 2:17:24 for 15 miles, 3:03:12 for 20 miles and 3:49:00 for 25 miles.

SUB-4:30 (10:18 per mile)

20,567 runners broke 4:30 in London in 2017 and 800 runners finished in the three-minute span between 4:27 and 4:30. At a rate of between four and five a second.

The quickest time of those who ran 4:29 was 1:50:00 and the slowest was 2:20:05 – the latter going 10 minutes quicker on the second half but the former slowing 50 minutes. The average was around 2:07 and runners were slowing much more in this span than the others.

Runners aiming for this time usually have PB times around 1:55-2:10 for half-marathon and 53:00-60:00 for 10km.

On even pace, runners need to run 51:31 for 5 miles, 1:43:03 for 10 miles and 2:34:34 for 15 miles, 3:26:06 for 20 miles and 4:17:38 for 25 miles.

Beatrice Wood, Thomas Archer and Menje Merle proved they were names to watch for the future as they won titles at the Virgin Money Giving Mini London Marathon

Beatrice Wood, the Inter-Counties cross-country champion, translated her success to the road as she took the under-15 girls title in a time of 16:35, just 10 seconds off the course record to take a second victory on the streets of London, Jacob Phillips reports.

Despite her success Wood’s season has not been without challenge following a knee injury which meant she could not run for several weeks.

“I was desperate to win because I won last year,” she said. “I had three weeks off injured over half term because of a knee injury so I’m just happy to be here.

“I’m looking ahead for English Schools competition, which I won last year as well, so I’m just looking to shave as much time as possible.”

Under-15 Thomas Archer, representing Hackney, won both the London Borough Challenge and the British Athletics Road Running Championships as he powered to a surprise victory of just two seconds.

Archer, who finished 164th at the English Schools Cross Country Championships, looks to be improving at a dramatic rate.

Speaking to Athletics Weekly, Archer said: “It was as perfect as I could have expected. I wasn’t expecting much going into it and to come away with the win feels amazing.

“At English schools I struggled and at cross country I’m not that strong so it was good to take the win.

“It’s always in the back of your mind to get to the elite level but I just want to keep being consistent and not overthink it. I’m going to go home now to do some homework and watch the main marathon.”

Athletes represented either their London boroughs or British regions as the two categories of races were merged.

Zien Zhou was the first athlete of the day to cross the finish line on The Mall as he won the boys’ wheelchair race by over a minute, a feat mirrored by Merle Menje, who won the women’s wheelchair race.

Following her victory, Merle said: “I knew that I could do better than last year. My next target is to qualify for the world para athletics junior championships in Switzerland in August.”

Following in the footsteps of the likes of Mo Farah, David Weir and Hannah Cockroft as Mini Marathon winners, those who took to the last three miles of the marathon course will hope to follow in their footsteps to become future Olympians.

Other notable successes included Henry McLuckie who took gold in the under-17 men’s race, Charlotte Alexander in the under-17 women’s race and Ruby Vinton in the under-13 girls race, while Ben Peck took the under-13 boys victory.

Kenyan dominates on streets of the British capital as Charlotte Purdue excels in 10^th to go No.3 on the UK all-time rankings

Brigid Kosgei defeated a stacked field in the women’s race at the Virgin Money London Marathon on Sunday as she surged away from fellow Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot in the closing stages to clock 2:18:20.

Kosgei finished runner-up to Cheruiyot 12 months ago in London but this time the 25-year-old turned the tables by moving clear during the final 10km to win by almost two minutes.

Defending champion Cheruiyot was level with Kosgei at 20 miles but Kosgei proved too strong as Cheruiyot clocked 2:20:14 to finish second with Rozu Dereje of Ethiopia third in 2:20:51, Gladys Cherono of Kenya fourth in 2:20:52 and three-time London winner Mary Keitany fifth in 2:20:58.

Close behind, Emily Sisson clocked an American record in a women-only race of 2:23:08 in sixth place, while Sinead Diver, the Irish-born Australian runner, held on to clock a fine 2:24:11 after an audacious start that saw the 42-year-old enjoy a half-minute lead over Kosgei and everyone else in the early stages.

Diver’s training partner, Charlotte Purdue, produced the best British performance of the women’s race as well as she stormed home in 2:25:38 to go No.3 on the UK all-time rankings behind Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi.

Purdue’s fine run saw her finish in 10^th overall and the next Briton was Tish Jones – the Belgrave runner clocking 2:31:00 – while Lily Partridge ran 2:31:53 and Hayley Carruthers 2:33:59, before the latter collapsed over the finish line in exhaustion.

Purdue’s preparations saw her split her time between Australia – where she is coached by Nic Bideau – and the Bushy Park area of London. A former European junior cross-country champion, she is now aged 27 and her run on Sunday saw her qualify for the IAAF World Championships in Doha plus the Tokyo Olympics.

“I am really happy to get into the top 10 in a massive PB,” said Purdue. “I couldn’t have asked for a better run really.”

Purdue ran a smartly-paced race but the battle for overall victory was more of an unpredictable, see-saw affair. Kosgei and the main contenders did not go with the pacemakers during the opening miles, for example, with Diver enjoying a clear lead as she passed halfway in 71:22 with Kosgei clocking 71:38 as the eventual winner was content to stay with her main east African rivals at that stage.

By 20 miles, though, Kosgei and Cheruiyot had passed Diver and the contest looked set to be between the same who finished one-two in London in 2018. But Kosgei’s strong surge in the last 10km – where she didn’t even stop to take a drink – ended Cheruiyot’s ambitions and she sped away to a dominant win.

Kosgei said: “The wind was a problem for me today. It was hard for me to get my breath but I’m very happy to have done so well.”

Kosgei also won the Chicago Marathon last autumn in 2:18:35, so she is building up a formidable reputation ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.

“I didn’t really know how far ahead I was, I looked back a couple of times then realised everything was okay. I’m extremely happy in my performance and everything went to plan.”

Cheruiyot said: “I’m happy with a podium finish, I know that coming second means I can keep on improving.”

Like Kosgei, Manuela Schär of Switzerland was a similarly emphatic winner as she took the women’s wheelchair race in 1:44:09.

“Can you believe it I have all of the majors in one year,” said the Swiss athlete. “Plan A was to drive ahead at the three mile downhill mark, which is early, but I know I had to do this in order to put myself in a good position.”

More than five minutes behind, Tatyana McFadden of the United States was runner-up in 1:49:42 followed closely by Madison de Rozario of Australia.

Kenyan breaks course record with 2:02:37 to take London Marathon victory while Mo Farah finishes fifth and Callum Hawkins creates history

Every time Eliud Kipchoge runs, he appears to use it as an opportunity to underline his greatness. If ever there were any doubts that the Kenyan is the finest marathon runner in history then his command performance in winning a record fourth London title surely dispelled them.

His winning time of 2:02:37 broke the London course record and only one person has ever gone quicker over the distance – Kipchoge himself, who ran 2:01:39 in Berlin to break the world record last year.

This is a man clearly at the peak of his athletic powers and, though there was a degree of pressure applied on the streets of the UK capital, he always looked in total control.

Ethiopian Mosinet Geremew set a national record of 2:02:55 but he still finished 18 seconds behind the victor, while compatriot Mule Wasihun clocked 2:03:16 for third.

In the lead-up to the race, there had been hope of a battle between Kipchoge and European record-holder Mo Farah but, in truth, such a joust simply didn’t materialise and, after a controversial week for the Briton, he took the national title in fifth with 2:05:39, outside his best of 2:05:11.

Farah was not the only home athlete to finish in the top 10, however, as Callum Hawkins bounced back in remarkable style from last year’s collapse while leading the Commonwealth Games, destroying his personal best to run 2:08:14 and smashing Allister Hutton’s 34-year-old Scottish record of 2:09:16.

Hawkins also made sure of World Championships selection for Doha, well inside the qualifying mark of 2:13:00, as well as meeting the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifying criteria of finishing in the top 10 and running inside 2:11:30. Welshman Dewi Griffiths was 16th in 2:11:46.

Kipchoge was to the fore throughout the race, at the head of a nine-strong group containing Geremew, Wasihun, former world record-holder Wilson Kipsang and last year’s runner-up Shura Kitata, with Farah content to sit at the back. The first 5km was passed in 14:23, 10km in 29:01, while the first real injection of speed came not long after halfway mark was passed by the leaders in 61:37.

A group of five – Kipchoge, Geremew, Wasihu, world silver medallist Tamirat Tola and Valencia winner Leul Gebrselassie – began to edge away as the 14th mile was covered in 4:32 it became clear that, once again, Kipchoge was planning something special.

Farah gave it his all but sensibly did not attempt to match the pace as he gradually began to fall further adrift. Behind him, Hawkins – who had passed halfway in 63:21 – was growing in strength and bang on the schedule he had spoken about pursuing earlier in the week.

Kipchoge continued in his trademark, serene fashion as his competitors began to fade. First Gebrselassie was dropped, then Tata, to leave a three-way fight for the title as the closing stages loomed. As they progressed along the Embankment, at first it did not look like Geremew and Wasihun would be shaken off. A man used to having things his own way when it comes to closing out a race, how would Kipchoge respond?

The Kenyan’s smile betrays a ruthless streak and another change of pace (mile 24 was covered in 4:43 but mile 25 produced a split of 4:30) was as decisive as it was impressive. His foes vanquished, Kipchoge allowed himself to enjoy a finishing stretch down the Mall in the shadow of Buckingham Palace which could only be described as processional.

“I had the confidence to win,” said Kipchoge, who was won his last 10 marathons in a row and admitted he is hoping to defend his Olympic title in Tokyo next year.

“I was very worried,” he added, when asked about having two pursuers with him in the closing stages. “Because you never know what will happen when everyone is at your back.”

As it turned out, the 34-year-old had little cause for concern.

To Farah’s great credit, he didn’t throw in the towel and though he insisted it was not a distraction, it’s hard to gauge just how much of a toll his very public and controversial row with Haile Gebrselassie took.

“I felt great with my start,” said the four-time Olympic champion. “My aim was to follow the pacemaker, but after 20 miles when he dropped out, the gap opened up and it became hard to close. My aim was to try and reel them back but the wheels came off and I was hanging in there.”

Hawkins admitted to feeling a wobble around the 40km mark, the same stage where disaster struck last year, but held on to become the third-fastest Briton in history.

“It was really important,” he said of bouncing back from Gold Coast. “I was really feeling it in the last 5km. It was really tough out there and really windy but I got my head around it and ground out the last 2km.”

Griffiths was the next Brit across the line, followed by Jonny Mellor’s 19th in 2:13:25, while Josh Griffiths was 21st in 2:14:25 and Commonwealth bronze medallist Robbie Simpson ran a personal best of 2:14:56 for 23rd.

Daniel Romanchuk roars to wheelchair win

America’s Daniel Romanchuk claimed to be “in shock” but, given that he won the Boston Marathon earlier this month, as well as enjoying victory in Chicago and New York last autumn, his triumph in the elite men’s wheelchair race in London can hardly qualify as a complete surprise.

The 20-year-old did have to rely on a strong closing finish to hit the line first in 1:33:38 but he fought off two-time London winner and highly decorated Swiss Marcel Hug (1:33:42) as well as Japan’s Tomoki Suzuki (1:33:51).

Eight-time winner David Weir admitted to an off-day as he finished fifth on what was his 20^th consecutive London Marathon appearance, coming home in 1:37:32.

The Briton had been in touch with the leading group going through halfway but, as the inaugural “Flying 400” – a 400m time trial section – approached, Romanchuk made an uphill break which pulled the eventual top three away from the rest of the field for the remainder of the race.

Romanchuk earned $10,000 for winning the sprint in 45 seconds and the lead changed hands between he, Hug and Suzuki until the closing stages, where the youngest competitor got his tactics just right to finish first and land his maiden World Para Athletics Marathon Championships title.

“I’m still in shock,” he said. “This past year has been incredible. “I climb much better than I descend and I tried to take as much advantage I could on the climbs, I talked to my coaches a lot about this and this is how we planned the race to go.

“The next thing for me is to recover from this and I’ll be heading on to the track after that It’s my first world title and it’s really hard to describe the feeling, I didn’t plan a specific place or anything so this is incredible.”

For Weir, back in a British vest since initially retiring from international athletics in 2017, said: “I just didn’t have it today. I knew Daniel had it when he put the burners on after Tower Bridge. I was slower than previous years, I just had no energy to be honest. I don’t know whether it was the infections I had for a few weeks in the build-up, but I’m not going to make excuses, I just wasn’t good enough today.

“It’s just a one-off thing. I kept up with Marcel and Daniel in New York. I was with them all the way to the end, but it’s just one of those things.”

Weir’s compatriot JohnBoy Smith fought off flu to finish 11th in 1:38:33, while Simon Lawson was 15th in 1:39:58.

In the T46 category, Britain’s Derek Rae destroyed his personal best as he followed up last year’s World Cup victory with a world silver medal thanks to his time of 2:27:08, beating his previous best by over six minutes. Australia’s Michael Roeger took gold in a world record of 2:22:51.

“I’m proud of myself and the team,” said Rae. “It’s a great individual achievement but also good to get the team going on the medal table for the World Championships. We’ve sacrificed a lot over the last six years; myself, my wife, my team; and now we are starting to reap the rewards. Proud is an understatement.”