The BMW Berlin Marathon has kicked off in Berlin, Germany with Kenyan elite athletes set to attempt to hold on to the Kenyan title set by Eliud Kipchoge in 2018.
Attention will be on Felix Kandie and Jonathan Korir as they seek to retain the Kenyan title in the absence of 2018 winner Eliud Kipchoge who finished in 2:01:39. The pressure is on the elite team against Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele whose best time is 2:03:03.
The men’s elite team will have attention on Felix Kandie who currently holds the best time on the team at 2:06:03. Other strong names in the men’s race include Kennedy Naibei, Willy Ngelel, Abel Kipchumba and Bethwel Yegon.
In the women race, triple champion Gladys Cherono has her eyes on a record fourth title.
Updates
At 5KM six runners are in the lead: Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), Birhanu Legere (ETH) , Leul Gebrselassie (ETH), Getaye Fisseha Gelaw (ETH), Jonathan Korir (KEN), Sisay Lemma (ETH).
In the women's at 5KM, Helen Tola (ETH), Gladys Cherono (KEN), Haftamnesh Tesfay (ETH), Ashete Bekere (ETH), Mare Dibaba (ETH), Sally Chepyego (KEN) are in the forefront.
The men have passed 10k in 28:52, which is faster than Eliud Kipchoge last year. However Kipchoge ran much quicker later in the race in 2018.
Kenyan Gladys Cherono has just passed 10KM in 33:29 and leads eight women.
The second men's group has passed 15KM in 44:18. Kenya's debutants Abel Kipchumba and Bethwel Yegon are in this group.
The women's leading group takes shape, now consists of 5 runners: Helen Tola (ETH), Mare Dibaba (ETH), Haftamnesh Tesfay (ETH), Ashete Bekere (ETH), Gladys Cherono (KEN).
The men's race remains fast and Kenenisa Bekele looks good and much stronger than his opponents.
Four men are in the lead: Kenenisa Bekele, Birhanu Legese, Sisay Lemma and Kenya's Jonathan Korir.
Jonathan Korir looses contact to the leading group. Bekele, Lemma and Legese are the three leaders. It is highly likely that we might see an Ethiopian winner.
In the women's race, Dibaba, Bekere, Chepyego and Tola are in the lead.
Kenyan Gladys Cherono drops out after around 32KM.
Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele is around 15 seconds outside the world record.
Kenenisa Bekele misses the world record by two seconds.
Bekele has clocked the second fastest time ever, the world lead and an Ethiopian record.
The Ethiopian athlete has clocked a time of 2:01:41.
Birhanu Legese takes second in 2:02:48, he becomes the third fastest marathon runner ever. Sisa Lemma takes third in 2:03:36.
Bekere and Dibaba are now the two leaders in the women's race. They are on 2.20:30 course.
Ashete Bekere (ETH) wins the women's race with a time of 2:20:14. Mare Dibaba from Ethiopia comes second with a time of 2:20:22.
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