Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge sets new marathon world record in Berlin

September 17, 2018
| Report Focus News

On an extraordinary day of athletics Eliud Kipchoge smashed the world marathon record, moving to within 100 seconds of running the first sub-two hour marathon, before France’s Kevin Mayer broke the decathlon world record.

Kipchoge has earned a reputation as the greatest marathon runner in history, having won Olympic gold in 2016 and this was his seventh Major Marathon title. He destroyed the Berlin Marathon field in 2:01:39, knocking one minute 18 seconds off the previous record set by Dennis Kimetto, his fellow Kenyan, over the same course four years ago.

The 33-year-old took nearly one minute 20 seconds off the previous best, which was set by compatriot Dennis Kimetto when he ran 2:02:57 in Berlin in 2014.

“I lack words to describe this day,” said Kipchoge. “I am really grateful, happy to smash the world record.”

The women’s race was won by Gladys Cherono of Kenya in 2:18:11.

Kipchoge won the London Marathon for a third time earlier this year and is the Olympic champion over the distance.

“It was hard,” he said. “I ran my own race, I trusted my trainers, my programme and my coach. That’s what pushed me in the last kilometres.”

In 2017, Kipchoge missed out on becoming the first athlete to run under two hours for the marathon by 26 seconds.

The Kenyan clocked 2:00:25 but because pacemakers who could swap in and out of the