Japan's Olympic champion Naoko Takahashi clinched the fastest ever women's marathon victory in Berlin today, breaking the 2 hours 20 minutes barrier.
Her winning time of 2 hours 19 minutes 46 seconds was the first time a woman had ever dipped below 2:20 and it bettered the previous best time of 2.20.43 set by the 1999 winner here Tegla Loroupe of Kenya.
Loroupe was second Sunday, almost nine seconds behind the Japanese winner.
The men's race was won by Kenya's Joseph Ngolepus in 2.08.46 with countrymen William Cheruiyot and William Kiplagat in second and third places respectively.
Results
Men1. Joseph Ngolepus (Ken) 2hr 8min 47sec, 2. William Cheruiyot (Ken) 2.09.08, 3. William Kiplagat (Ken) 2.09.55, 4. Tsuyoshi Ogata (Jpn) 2.10.06, 5. Danilo Goffi (Ita) 2.10.35, 6. Frederick Chumba (Ken) 2.10.36, 7. Makhosonke Fikha (RSA) 2.10.47, 8. Viktor Roethlin (Swi) 2.10.54, 9. Tesfaye Eticha (Eth) 2.11.19, 10. Jimmy Muindi (Ken) 2.11.42.
Women1. Naoko Takahashi (Jpn) 2.19.46, 2. Tegla Loroupe (Ken) 2.28.03, 3. Kathrin Wessel (Ger) 2.28.27, 4. Shiki Terasaki (Jpn) 2.33.23, 5. Ai Sugihara (Jpn) 2.34.56, 6. Bev Hartigan (Gbr) 2.36.02, 7. Tina Maria Ramos (Spa) 2.36.25, 8. Dagmar Rabensteiner (Aut) 2.38.03, 9. Christine Stief (Ger) 2.38.52, 10. Suzanne Johansson (Swe) 2.40.29.