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Berlin (AFP) – Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchtogi improved his world marathon record by taking first place in Berlin in two hours, one minute and nine seconds.
The 37-year-old double Olympic champion erased the previous record, which he had broken in the German capital also on September 16, 2018, when he cut the distance in two hours, one minute and 39 seconds, breaking the record of his compatriot Denis Kimito (2 hours, two minutes and 57 seconds).
Considered the greatest marathon runner in history, Kipchoge started the race strong and finished the race in less than an hour (59 minutes 51 seconds), but slowed slightly in the second half of the race and thus failed to finish under two hours when he arrived near the Brandenburg Gate.
His compatriot Marc Currier returned to second place with a time of 2:05:58, while Ethiopia’s Tadu Abate finished third in 2:06:28, ahead of compatriot Andamlak Pelehu, who competed in Kipchoge in two-thirds of the race before slowing and leaving the Kenyan outside the flock alone.
“We progressed very quickly in the first part,” Kipchoge said. “We were expecting 60 (minutes) and 50 (seconds) in the first half.”
“Teamwork”
Kipchoge gave his team credit for his achievement. “I was very happy with my preparations,” he told German television. “The world record is because of the real teamwork.”
In response to a question whether he had already returned to Berlin in order to descend under the two-hour barrier, Kipchoge confirmed that he was focused on celebrating his achievement.
“Let’s plan another day,” he said. “I need to celebrate this new world record.”
Kipchoge was the only runner to break the two-hour mark in the marathon when he did it in 2019 in Vienna, but with different and not officially approved race conditions.
Then, he clocked 1:59:41 hours, with the help of 41 “rabbits” taking turns in groups of seven around him over the 42,195 kilometer distance.
Last week, Kipchoge reduced his chances of falling under the two-hour barrier. “I will not run less than two hours in Berlin, I expect a very good race and if I do that I will break my personal record,” he said.
It is the fourth time that Kipchoge has won the Berlin Marathon and thus equaled the Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie’s record in the German capital’s marathon.
The Berlin Marathon is suitable for breaking records, because of its flat track. Today’s record has been broken for the eighth time in the twenty-first century.
With this new world record, Kipchoge strengthened his record studded with many titles. He first won medals over shorter distances (notably bronze and then silver in the 5,000m at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and 2008 in Beijing) before focusing his full potential over the 42,195 kilometers by winning gold at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and 2021 in Tokyo.
In the women’s event, Ethiopia’s Tegest Asefa won with a time of two hours 15 minutes 37 seconds, the third best time in history, less than one minute 33 seconds from the world record held by Kenyan Brigitte Kosgei of two hours 14 minutes and four seconds.
Kenya’s Rosemiri Wanjiru came second with a time of two hours and 18 minutes, and third place for the other Ethiopian, Tegest Abayecho, with a time of two hours 18 minutes and 51 seconds.
© 2022 AFP
