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BSP-18
ATHLETICS-GER-BERLIN
Bekele wins Berlin marathon, misses record by two seconds
BERLIN, Sept 29, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele has won his second Berlin Marathon, crossing the line in a time of two hours one minute and 41 seconds, just two seconds short of the world record.
Bekele left it late to hit the lead, overtaking countryman Birhanu Legese on the 38th kilometre before hitting top speed as he chased the world record time of 2:01:39, set in Berlin in 2018 by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge.
Bekele was more than a minute behind the world record time with 10 kilometres to go, but finished in a flurry to better his personal best of 2:03:03 set at the 2016 Berlin Marathon.
BSS/AFP/AU/15:45 hrs