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Eliud Kipchoge breaks his own world-record Marathon time in Berlin

Kipchoge, 37, has now won 15 of his 17 career marathons, including two Olympic triumphs and 10 major titles; Kenyan was in a class of his own, setting a blistering pace along the flat, fast inner-city course from the start on an overcast day

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Two-time Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge betters his own marathon world record by 30 seconds with victory in Berlin

Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge has broken his own world-record Marathon time by 30 seconds in Berlin, running the 26.2m course in 2:01:09.

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 inner-city course from the start on an overcast day.

Only a handful of runners could keep up with Kipchoge along with the group of pacemakers.

He gradually shook off last year's winner Guye Adola but fellow Ethiopian Andamlak Belihu refused to buckle, even as they raced through the halfway mark in less than an hour.

Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge celebrates after winning the Berlin Marathon in Berlin, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 25, 2022. Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge has bettered his own world record in the Berlin Marathon. Kipchoge clocked 2:01:09 on Sunday to shave 30 seconds off his previous best-mark of 2:01:39 from the same course in 2018. (AP Photo/Christoph Soeder)
Image: Kipchoge celebrates another world record

Belihu finally dropped back around the 27 kilometre-mark as Kipchoge pushed on for the record.

The Kenyan, who retained his Olympic at the Tokyo Games last year, had fallen short of his world mark by just over a minute at the Tokyo Marathon in March, but he was not to be denied in Berlin.

With a final 500-metre sprint passing through the city's iconic Brandenburg Gate just as the sun started to emerge, a beaming Kipchoge crossed the finish line to cement his status as one of the greatest runners of all time.

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

Kipchoge is the only man to run a sub-two hour marathon when he clocked 1:59.40 on a specially designed track in Vienna in 2019 but the time is not officially recognised as it was not set in competition.

Asked whether he would attempt a sub-two hour run in Berlin next year, Kipchoge said: "Let us plan for another day. I need to celebrate this record and have to realise what happens. Just roll and see what happens.

"There is still more in my legs. I hope the future is still great. My mind is still moving, the body still absorbing the training."

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