Stephen Scullion has set the second fastest time ever by an Irishman by finishing 11th in 2:09.49 in the London Marathon.
John Treacy is the only other Irish runner to go under 2:10.00. It gives the Belfast an a personal best by more than a minute.
Mick Clohisey finished 26th in 2:18:52.
Ethiopian Shura Kitata outsprinted Kenya's Vincent Kipchumba to win a thrilling race as a stunned world record holder Eliud Kipchoge faded late to suffer his first defeat since 2013.
In cold, wet conditions, 24-year-old Kitata edged clear in the final metres to win by one second over Kipchumba in a relatively slow two hours, 05.41 minutes.
Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia was third in 2:5.35, with Kipchoge, the hot favourite, who in his last race a year ago became the only man to break the two hour mark for the distance, eighth in 2:06.49 having suffered cramp and a blocked ear.
In the absence of injured Kenenisa Bekele, Kipchoge was widely expected to lift a fifth London crown but he was never able to impose his usual speed in the relentless cold rain.
In the women's race, Kenyan world record holder and defending champion Brigid Kosgei cruised to a dominant victory, overcoming her rivals on an unfamiliar multi-lap course in relentless rain to triumph in 2:18.58.
Running her first marathon since setting the world record of 2:14.04 in Chicago a year ago, Kosgei ran alongside compatriot Ruth Chepngetich until around the 20-mile mark, when she forged clear to open a lead of about 50 metres within a couple of minutes.
She then ran strongly for the rest of the race to finish around three minutes clear.
American Sara Hall produced an incredible finish, wiping out a huge deficit over the last few hundred metres to sweep past world champion Chepngetich almost on the line to finish in 2:22.01 to the Kenyan's 2:22.05.
Mayo-born Sinéad Diver, who now represents Australia, clocked a time of 2:27:07 in the wet conditions, three seconds down on her PB from last year.
Wrapped in a huge coat at the finish area, Kosgei said it had been a tough day. "It was wonderful to race but we haven't been able to prepare well because of Covid, and because of the weather today it was a struggle up to the moment I finished," she said.
The race, originally postponed from April because of the Covid-19 pandemic, was run over 19.8 laps of a fenced-off course in a "controlled secure biosphere" around St James's Park, with the finish line in its traditional place on The Mall.
Hall's remarkable sprint finish meant she bettered her personal best by 15 seconds and meant she had $15,000 to donate to the Ethiopian children's charity she is supporting with all her prize money. Kosgei won $30,000.
