FLASH: RUNNING GERMANY: BERLIN – Kenenisa Bekele wins thrilling duel with Wilson Kipsang and misses world record by just six seconds

FLASH: Kenenisa Bekele established himself as the second fastest marathon runner ever, winning the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON with a time of 2:03:03 on Sunday. In a thrilling duel the Ethiopian superstar beat Kenya’s Wilson Kipsang.                                                                     

While he missed the world record of Kenya’s Dennis Kimetto by just six seconds he smashed the Ethiopian record of Haile Gebrselassie, who had won the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON back in 2008 with a then world record of 2:03:59.

Wilson Kipsang, who ran a world record of 2:03:23 in Berlin three years ago, was second with a personal best of 2:03:13. It was only on the final kilometre that the Kenyan could not quite hold on to Bekele’s finishing pace. Evans Chebet of Kenya took third with a fine 2:05:31.

Ethiopia’s Aberu Kebede took the women’s race in a world-class time of 2:20:45, which is the second fastest time in the world this year. With her third Berlin win after 2010 and 2012 Kebede joins Berlin’s record winners Uta Pippig (Germany) and Renata Kokowska (Poland). Birhane Dibaba (2:23:58) and Ruti Aga (2:24:41) made it an all Ethiopian podium in Berlin in ideal weather conditions.

41,283 runners from 122 countries entered the 43rd edition of the race, which belongs to the Abbott World Marathon Majors and is an IAAF Gold Label Road Race.

Souce: BMW BERLIN-MARATHON