LONDON -- A competitor at the London Marathon exhibited some fine sportsmanship Sunday by helping a fellow runner cross the finish line, the BBC reported.

Matthew Rees put his arm around David Wyeth, who was struggling to reach the finish line, and guided him the final 150 yards to finish the race.

The pair were cheered home by Princes William and Harry and Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton.

Former marathon winner and BBC commentator Tanni Grey Thompson tweeted: "Matthew Rees refuses to give up helping David Wyeth across the line. Wow."

London Marathon tweeted: "Matthew Rees, you've just encompassed everything that's so special about the #LondonMarathon. We salute you.”

In Sunday’s race, Kenya’s Mary Keitany broke Paula Radcliffe's women-only marathon world record her third victory in London, while Daniel Wanjiru won the men's race for the first time.

Keitany, 35, completed the 26.2-mile course in 2 hours, 17 minutes, 1 second, beating Radcliffe's 12-year-old mark by 41 seconds.

Wanjiru, 24, won his first major marathon in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 48 seconds.

A total of 39,487 runners finished the race, making it the biggest in its 37-year history, according to the London Marathon website.

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