BERLIN: Eliud from Kenya kipchoge broke his own marathon world record on Sunday, winning the Berlin race with a time of 2:01.09 to shave half a minute off his previous world record set in the German capital four years ago.
The 37-year-old, who has now won 15 of his 17 career marathons, including two Olympic triumphs and 10 Major titles, was in a class of his own, setting a blistering pace along the flat, fast downtown course since start it on an overcast day.
Only a handful of runners could keep up with Kipchoge with the pacemaker group.
He gradually rocked last year’s winner Guye Adola but fellow Ethiopian Andamlak Belihu refused to complete, even though they crossed the halfway point in less than an hour.
Belihu eventually backed off around the 27 kilometer mark as Kipchoge pushed for the record.
The Kenyan, who retained his Olympic title in Tokyo Games last year, missed her world mark by just over a minute in Tokyo Marathon in March, but it was not to be refused in Berlin.
With a final sprint of 500 meters passing through the city’s emblematic Brandenburg Gate just as the sun was beginning to appear, a beaming Kipchoge crossed the finish line to cement his status as one of the greatest runners of all time.
Kenyan compatriot Marc Korir completed a brace for the African nation, four minutes and 49 seconds behind, with the Ethiopian Tadu Abate third.
The 37-year-old, who has now won 15 of his 17 career marathons, including two Olympic triumphs and 10 Major titles, was in a class of his own, setting a blistering pace along the flat, fast downtown course since start it on an overcast day.
Only a handful of runners could keep up with Kipchoge with the pacemaker group.
He gradually rocked last year’s winner Guye Adola but fellow Ethiopian Andamlak Belihu refused to complete, even though they crossed the halfway point in less than an hour.
Belihu eventually backed off around the 27 kilometer mark as Kipchoge pushed for the record.
The Kenyan, who retained his Olympic title in Tokyo Games last year, missed her world mark by just over a minute in Tokyo Marathon in March, but it was not to be refused in Berlin.
With a final sprint of 500 meters passing through the city’s emblematic Brandenburg Gate just as the sun was beginning to appear, a beaming Kipchoge crossed the finish line to cement his status as one of the greatest runners of all time.
Kenyan compatriot Marc Korir completed a brace for the African nation, four minutes and 49 seconds behind, with the Ethiopian Tadu Abate third.