Geoffrey Mutai wins Berlin Marathon
Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya reacts as he crosses the finish line to win the ING New York City Marathon on Nov. 6, 2011, in New York.
Kenya's Geoffrey Mutai won Sunday's Berlin Marathon with a time of two hours, four minutes and 15 seconds.
He narrowly missed out on his attempt to beat the world record of 2:03:38 set here by Patrick Makau last year, reported Agence France-Presse.
"For sure the record was possible but I had some problems with my leg," the 30-year-old winner told AFP.
Mutai was able to hold off his training partner, Dennis Kimetto, to take the win by one second, according to the Associated Press. This was Kimetto's marathon debut. Another newcomer, 19-year-old Geoffrey Kipsang, completed the top three, all from Kenya.
This win was some consolation for Mutai, who didn't make the selection for the London Olympics, AFP noted.
But he does own the fastest marathon time ever recorded, with 2:03:02 at the 2011 Boston Marathon, said the AP. Because of Boston's course, however, it is not recognized as the world record.
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AFP also reported that Mutai was also the winner of last year's New York Marathon.
According to the AP, Aberu Kebede of Ethiopia won the women's race in 2:20:30, ahead of teammate Tirfi Tsegaye. Olena Shurhno of Ukraine came third.