Sunday 29 September 2013
Kenya's Wilson Kipsang broke the marathon world record in Berlin on Sunday, setting a new mark of two hours, three minutes and 23 seconds.
Kispang, 31, took 15 seconds off the previous record set by his compatriot Patrick Makau, who ran 2:03.38 in the same race in the German capital two years ago.
This is the ninth time a world record has been set in Berlin and five men's world records have been set here in the last decade alone.
"I'm very happy that I have won and broken the world record," Kipsang said. "I was really inspired by Paul Tergat when he broke the world record here 10 years ago and I'm very happy that I was in a position to break the record on the same course."
Tergat's time of 2:04:55 at the 2003 Berlin Marathon was the first to be ratified as a world record by governing body the IAAF, who previously recognised fastest marathon times as world bests.
Kenya's dominance of the event was underlined as Eliud Kipchoge took second in a time of 2.04:05 - improving his personal best by more than a minute - while Geoffrey Kipsang was third in 2.06:26.
Wilson Kipsang was the bronze medallist in the marathon at the 2012 Olympics and was among the favourites for this year's London Marathon, but could manage only fifth place behind Ethiopia's Tsegaye Kebede in a time of 2:07:47.
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