The 30-year-old pre-race favourite broke away in a seven-man group, including fellow Kenyans Emmanuel Mutai and Geoffrey Kamworor. Kimetto pulled clear from his compatriots in the latter stages to become the first man to complete the race in less than two hours and three minutes.
This is the second consecutive world record set along Berlin’s flat race, considered the world’s fastest marathon course, after fellow Kenyan Wilson Kipsang’s previous world best of 2:03:23 was set in the German capital last year.
( MARATHON KENYANS DENNIS KIMMETO,WORLD RECORD, BMW Berlin Marathon IAAF Gold Label Roadhistory, IAAF Gold Label Road,RUNNER,GAME, sports.net, NEWS,)
Kimetto had provided evidence of his class at the distance with wins in Tokyo and Boston last year, and had promised to attack the record in Berlin if conditions allowed. The Kenyan stayed in the lead group from the beginning and was always positioned near the front.( MARATHON KENYANS DENNIS KIMMETO,WORLD RECORD, BMW Berlin Marathon IAAF Gold Label Roadhistory, IAAF Gold Label Road,RUNNER,GAME, sports.net, NEWS,)
Last pacemakers stepped aside with eight miles to go as
the Kenyan trio gradually broke clear. Mutai twice attempted to attack
but Kimetto stayed strong and made his own move with two miles to go,
with his compatriot soon dropping some 20 metres behind.
Kimetto powered through the final stretch close to Brandenburg Gate to clock a world best, with Mutai second 16 seconds behind, and Ethiopian Abera Kuma overtaking a fading Kamworor late on to claim third.
Tirfi Tsegaye won the women’s race with a time of 2:20:18, nine seconds ahead of fellow Ethiopian Feyse Tadese. American Shalane Flanagan finished third( MARATHON KENYANS DENNIS KIMMETO,WORLD RECORD, BMW Berlin Marathon IAAF Gold Label Roadhistory, IAAF Gold Label Road,RUNNER,GAME, sports.net, NEWS,)
