Ethiopia’s Guye Adola Sunday won Berlin men marathon clocking 2:05:45.He shocked three-time Olympic Champion Kenenissa Bekele.
Kenya’s Bethwel Yegon finished in second place ahead of Bekele, who was competing for the first time in 18 months and struggled with a COVID-19 infection nine months ago, in third.
In an Ethiopian treble, Gotytom Gebreslase won the women’s race in her debut marathon in two hours, 20 minutes and nine seconds, leaving Hiwot Gebrekidan in second place and Helen Tola in third.
There was no world record this time at the flat inner-city course but there was enough suspense and excitement before Adola crossed the finish line in an official time of two hours, five minutes and 45 seconds for the biggest win of his career.
Adola, who was second in Berlin in 2017, was made to work very hard from the start as part of the leading group of runners who set off at a dizzying pace with Bekele, a multiple Olympic and world champion over 5,000 and 10,000 meters, in the lead.
The 39-year-old Bekele, who was two seconds off the world record in 2019 in Berlin for the second fastest-ever marathon run, was still on world record pace after 15km before dropping some 100 metres behind.
MG/abj/APA