Bekele storms to victory in Berlin Marathon, just misses WR

BERLIN (AP) — Kenenisa Bekele led an Ethiopian sweep of the podium places in the men’s Berlin Marathon, just missing out on a world record with a time of two hours, one minute and 41 seconds in wet but warm conditions on Sunday.

Birhanu Legese was second, one minute and seven seconds behind with Sisay Lemma coming home third with a time of 2:03:36.

For a change the winner did not finish in a world-beating time. Since Khalid Khannouchi set a world record to win the London Marathon in 2:05:38 in 2002, the time has been improved seven times — all in Berlin.

But Eliud Kipchoge, who set the current record time of 2:01:39 in the German capital last year, skipped Sunday’s race to focus on his attempt to become the first to break the two-hour mark at a specially organized event in Vienna, Austria in October.

In the women’s race, Ashete Bekere of Ethiopia held off compatriot Mare Dibaba to win in a time of two hours, 20 minutes and 14 seconds. Dibaba was seven seconds behind but comfortably ahead of Kenya’s Sally Chepyego who was third in a time of 2:21:06.