Athletics-Kenya’s Kipchoge shatters marathon world report in Berlin By Reuters

BERLIN (Reuters) -Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge shattered his personal marathon world report on Sunday, successful the Berlin race with a time of two:01.09 to shave half a minute off his earlier world greatest set within the German capital 4 years in the past.

The 37-year-old, who has now received 15 of his 17 profession marathons, together with two Olympic triumphs and 10 main titles, was in a category of his personal, setting a blistering tempo alongside the flat, quick inner-city course on an overcast day to cement his standing as the best ever marathon runner.

“I’m proud of my preparation and I believe I used to be so quick due to the teamwork,” Kipchoge mentioned. “All the things is right down to teamwork.

“What motivates is my household I and I need to encourage younger individuals. Sport unites individuals and that’s what motivates me.”

Solely a handful of runners might sustain with Kipchoge within the early phases, together with the group of pacemakers.

He regularly shook off final yr’s winner Guye Adola however fellow Ethiopian Andamlak Belihu refused to buckle, at the same time as they raced via the midway mark in a time of 59.10.

Belihu lastly dropped again across the 27 kilometre-mark as Kipchoge pushed on for the report.

The Kenyan, who retained his Olympic on the Tokyo Video games final yr, had fallen in need of his world mark by simply over a minute on the Tokyo Marathon in March, however he was to not be denied in Berlin.

Having slowed barely within the second half of the race he nonetheless powered via the ultimate 500-metre dash.

Passing via town’s iconic Brandenburg Gate simply because the solar began to emerge, a beaming Kipchoge crossed the end line to set one other report.

Kipchoge is the one man to run a sub-two hour marathon when he clocked 1:59.40 on a specifically designed monitor in Vienna in 2019 however the time isn’t formally recognised because it was not set in competitors.

Requested whether or not he would try a sub-two hour run in Berlin subsequent yr, Kipchoge mentioned: “Allow us to plan for one more day. I’ll have a good time this report and have to grasp what occurs. Simply roll and see what occurs.”

Fellow Kenyan Mark Korir accomplished a one-two end for the African nation, 4 minutes and 49 seconds behind, with Ethiopian Tadu Abate third.

Ethiopian Tigist Assefa shocked the sphere within the girls’s race, successful in 2:15:37, the third-fastest time in historical past. Solely report holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya and Briton Paula Radcliffe have run sooner marathons.

Kenyan Rosemary Wanjiru was second forward of Ethiopian Tigist Abayechew.