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The Berlin Marathon: the Run of the Records

September 30th, 2014
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News from Berlin - On September 28th was the 41st Berlin Marathon. The marathon is a great sporting event, eagerly awaited at an international level. The level route means that the Berlin Marathon is eagerly awaited by runners who are keen to break personal records. In 2013, a Kenyan runner, Wilson Kipsang, broke the world record with a big win in front of compatriots Eliud Kipchoge and Geoffrey Kipsang. For the women, another Kenyan triumphed: Florence Kiplagat.

This year the number of the runners was huge and 40,004 participants from all over the world were involved. This year’s winner was another runner from Kenya, a renowned country for its long tradition in marathons and general running. Dennis Kimetto was this years winner and what is interesting about the 2014 Berlin Marathon champion is that up until six years ago, he worked as a farmer in one of the poorest rural areas of western Kenya. Today he is the cover-man, able to crush previous marathon records, with a time of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 57 seconds. This amazing result - the first time in history that a man falls below the limit of two hours and three minutes - was obtained just last weekend in Berlin, during the 41st edition of what is known as "the world's fastest marathon".

Kimetto beat compatriot Emmanuel Mutai and Ethiopian Abera Kuma, leaving behind more than 40 thousand runners who had all started from Straße des 17 Juni, in the heart of the Tiergarten. This was an unfortunate day for Kenyan runner, Wilton Kipsang who held the previous record for the Berlin Marathon in 2013.

It is amazing to think that the new record-holder, thirty year old Dennis Kipruto Kimetto, began to run at nearly twenty-five years of age. His marathon debut was in Berlin in 2012, where the Kenyan had already made a name for himself: no rookie had ever been as fast as him (2:04:16).

In 2013, Kimetto, had already won the Tokyo and Chicago marathons with course-record times. He is certainly a true ace and able to dominate any terrain. Kimetto grew up in a rural community in the town of Eldoret, helping his parents in the fields and the farm.

On a sunny Sunday, Berlin welcomed about a million viewers to the marathon. A unique show, which has also had female success. The leading women for this years marathon were two Ethiopians: Tirf Tsegaye (2:20:18) and Feyse Tadese (2:20:27).

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