Berlin, September 26 (BNA): Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge broke his own world marathon record on Sunday, winning the Berlin Grand Prix with a time of 2:01.09 to shave half a minute off his previous world record in the German capital four years ago. .
The 37-year-old, who has now won 15 of 17 marathons in his career, including two Olympic victories and 10 major titles, was in a class of his own, setting a brisk pace along the flat indoor city track on a cloudy day. To cement his position as the greatest marathon runner ever, reports Reuters.
“I am happy with my preparations and I think I was very fast because of the teamwork,” Kipchoge said. “It all comes down to teamwork.
“I planned to get out fast in the first half. I thought about trying to run fast. It was a great performance. My legs and body still feel young. But the most important thing is my mind, and that also feels fresh and young. I am very happy to break the world record.”
Few of the runners could keep up with his sub-three-minute times split in the early stages, along with his array of pacemakers.
He phased out last year’s winner Guy Adola, but fellow Ethiopian Andamlak Pelehu refused to melt, even as they raced halfway in less than an hour.
Belihu finally slipped around the 27km mark as Kipchoge pressed for the record.
The Kenyan, who held the Tokyo Olympics last year, was below his world record level by just over a minute at the Tokyo Marathon in March, but was not rejected in Berlin.
After slowing down a bit in the second half of the race, he continued to drive through the last 500m.
Passing the city’s famous Brandenburg Gate when the sun started to set, the radiant Kipchoge crossed the finish line to set another world record.
Kipchoge is the only man to run a two-hour marathon when he clocked 1:59.40 on a specially built track in Vienna in 2019, but the time is not officially known as it is not set in competition.
Asked if he would try the two-hour run in Berlin next year, Kipchoge said: “Let’s plan another day. I need to celebrate this record and have to know what happens. Just scroll and see what happens.”
“There’s still more in my legs. I hope the future is still great. My mind is still moving, and the body is still accommodating the training.”
Fellow Kenyan Mark Currier completed the African nation’s second place, four minutes and 49 seconds behind, with Ethiopia’s Tadu Abate third.
Ethiopian Test Asefa stunned the field in the women’s race, winning in 2:15:37, the third fastest time in history. Only record holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya and Britain’s Paula Radcliffe have run faster marathons.
Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru came in second, ahead of Ethiopia’s Tegest Abayshiw.