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Bekele clocks second best marathon time

Last Updated 25 September 2016, 21:16 IST

 Kenenisa Bekele admitted he was disappointed to have missed the world record by six seconds on Sunday as the Ethiopian won the Berlin marathon ahead of former winner Wilson Kipsang.

The ex-Olympic 5,000M and 10,000M champion crossed the finish line in an official time of two hours 03min 03sec -- just short of Dennis Kimetto's world record of 2:02:57 set here in 2014.

Bekele's time was an Ethiopian national record and he took two minutes off his personal best.

"It went according to plan," said Bekele, who finished third at this year's London marathon.

"I wanted to beat my personal best. I ran a fantastic time, but I'm just a little disappointed to miss the world record by a few seconds."

Bekele pocketed 70,000 euros ($78,585) for winning the race, but those six seconds cost him the 50,000 bonus he would have landed had the world record fallen. Kipsang, who won the 2013 Berlin Marathon in a then-world record time, finished ten seconds back in 2:03:13 and fellow Kenyan Evans Chebet took third in 2:05:31.

"I am happy to have run a personal best and he (Bekele) ran a fantastic race," said Kipsang, who ran ten seconds faster than the 2:03:23 then-world record he ran here three years ago.
Bekele ran the second fastest time ever, just six seconds away from Kimetto's record, and Kipsang's time was the fourth fastest.

In the women's race, Aberu Kebede, claimed her third Berlin win, in 2:20:45 ahead of Birhane Dibaba, who finished 3:13 minutes back, and Ruti Aga at 3:57 in an Ethiopian sweep.

Results: Men: Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia) 2:03:03, 1; Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:13, 2; Evans Kiplagat Chebet (Kenya) 2:05:31, 3.

Women: Aberu Kebede (Ethiopia) 2:20:45, 1; Berhane Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2:23:58, 2; Ruti Aga Sora (Ethiopia) 2:24:41, 3.

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(Published 25 September 2016, 19:16 IST)

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