• Kipchoge, 38, breasted the tape in 2:02:42 ahead of compatriot Vincent Kipkemboi who clocked 2:03:13 to finish second on his debut at the 49th edition of the event.
• Ethiopia's Tadese Takele came in third clocking 2:03:24. During last year's Berlin Marathon, Kipchoge lowered his world record by 30 seconds to 2:01:09.
Image: COURTESY/file
Kenya's legend Eliud Kipchoge consolidated his status as the greatest marathoner of all time after obliterating a rich field to bag his fifth Berlin Marathon title on Sunday.
Kipchoge, 38, breasted the tape in 2:02:42 ahead of compatriot Vincent Kipkemboi who clocked 2:03:13 to finish second on his debut at the 49th edition of the annual event in the German city.
Ethiopia's Tadese Takele came in third clocking 2:03:24. During last year's Berlin Marathon, Kipchoge lowered his world record by 30 seconds to 2:01:09.
He was largely expected to enhance his fortunes this time around after flirting with the world record pace of 1:00:22 at the halfway mark.
He, however, squandered another glorious chance to shine when he tapered off toward the end where he ran the final six miles alone.
“I was expecting to do the same as I did in 2022, but things didn't turn out as I had expected. But that’s how sport is,” Kipchoge said in a post-race interview.
“At the end of it, a little bit of hiccups, but it’s normal in the race,” he added.
"I've learned an important lesson after failing to break the world record. Every race is an important lesson."
Sunday's performance bolstered his chances of sealing a slot in Kenya’s three-man team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he could become the first person to win three Olympic marathons.
"I want to put all the experience I've gained from the 21 marathons I've run into next year's Paris Games," Kipchoge said.
In an earlier interview, Kipchoge had hinted at using the upcoming Berlin Marathon to polish his act for the Paris 2024 Olympic games.
"I chose the Berlin Marathon specifically for the Olympic Games in Paris," Kipchoge said.
Ronald Korir blazed to the fourth place in 2:04:22 as compatriot Amos Kipruto who had been fancied to make it to the podium fizzled out to seventh in 2:04:49.
Philemon Kiplimo came in eighth in 2:04:56 with another Kenyan Boniface Kimutai Kiplimo wrapping up the top ten in 2:05:05.
In the women's race, Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa smashed the women's marathon record in 2 hours, 11 minutes, 53 seconds, two minutes. Assefa took more than two minutes off Kenyan Brigid Kosgei’s world record of 2:14:04 from the 2019 Chicago Marathon.
She won by nearly six minutes over Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui who clocked 2:17:49 to finish second ahead of third-placed Tanzania's Magdalena Shauri (2:18:41).
“That I broke the record with such a result was not expected for me, but in some form, I wanted to break the record,” Assefa said through a translator.
Assefa replicated her feat from last year’s Berlin Marathon where she stormed the title in 2:15:37 — then the third-fastest women’s time in history. She previously ran the 800m where she was eliminated in the heats at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
More than 45,000 runners from around 150 countries took part in the race which is the fourth of six World Marathon Majors events scheduled for 2023.
Women’s Elite
1.Tigst Assefa (ETH) 2:11:53 WR
2. Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 2:17:49
3. Magdalena Shauri (TAN) 2:18:41
4. Zeineba Yimer (ETH) 2:19:07
5.Senbere Teferi (ETH) 2:19:21
6. Dera Dida (ETH) 2:19:24
7. Workenesh Edesa (ETH) 2:19:40
8. Helen Bekele (ETH) 2:19:44
9. Charlotte Purdue (GBR) 2:22:17
10. Fikrte Wereta (ETH) 2:23:01
Men’s Elite
1. Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:02:42
2. Vincent Kipkemoi (KEN) 2:03:13
3. Tadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:24
4. Ronald Korir (KEN) 2:04:22
5. Haftu Teklu (ETH) 2:04:42
6. Andualem Belay Shiferaw (ETH) 2:04:44
7. Amos Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:49
8. Philemon Kiplimo (KEN) 2:04:56
9. Amanal Petros (GER) 2:04:58
10. Bonface Kimutai Kiplimo (KEN) 2:05:0527.