The Japan Times - Kenyan duo Sawe and Wanjiru triumph at Berlin Marathon

Sawe finished in 2hr 02min 16sec in just his third marathon attempt, 11 seconds slower than his personal best set on debut in Valencia in 2024.

"It was hard but I gave my best. I'm happy about my performance," Sawe told Germany's RTL network.

Sawe's time is equal ninth fastest in history, but fell outside the late Kelvin Kiptum's world record time of 2:00:35 and Eliud Kipchoge's course record of 2:01:09, set in 2022.

The 30-year-old, who had been tipped to challenge both of those records, declined to blame the warmer than usual conditions, with temperatures of 25 degrees celsius and high humidity, while promising to return to Berlin next year.

"I felt good. You can't change the weather of course. I was well prepared and I'm just pleased.

"I enjoyed the atmosphere in Berlin. I'm happy to be here and want to be back next year. I hope I can go a bit better."

Japan's Akira Akasaki finished second in a time of 2:06:15 and Ethiopia's Chimdessa Debele completed the podium with 2:06:57.

Wanjiru, who finished second in Berlin in 2022, is the first Kenyan woman to win the race since 2018.

The 30-year-old surged ahead after 25 kilometres. She was 36 seconds in front at the 40-kilometre mark but slowed slightly, allowing the chasers to cut the margin.

As Ethiopia's Dera Dida closed in with the Brandenburg Gate in sight, Wanjiru dug deep, pushing on to finish just three seconds ahead of her rival in a time of time of 2:21:05.

Fellow Ethiopian Azmera Gebru was third, coming in 24 seconds behind the winner.

Wanjiru's time was 12 minutes slower than Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich's world record time of 2:09:56, set in Chicago in 2024, and also well outside Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa's course record set in 2023.

- Mengesha drops out -

The men started fast in the warmer than usual conditions in the German capital, recording the fastest opening kilometre in the race's history.

Sawe and the leading pack including 2024 winner Milkesa Mengesha and Gabriel Geay kept up the record pace early and were on track for the world mark inside the first 10 kilometres.

Sawe then separated himself from the leaders with 15 kilometres run, opening up an 11-second gap over Mengesha, while staying on world record pace at the half-way mark with a time of 60:16.

Sawe had run negative splits in both of his previous marathons but fell off the pace slightly in the second half of the race as the mercury climbed in Berlin.

Mengesha dropped out before the 30-kilometre mark.

Despite missing a personal best or challenging the course record of his mentor Kipchoge, Sawe's time is the best in the world for 2025, bettering his own previous mark set in London in April by 11 seconds.

S.Suzuki--JT