Kenya's Patrick Makau won the Berlin marathon today but failed to break Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie's world record. Heavy rain and fog affected his chances.
Makau finished more than a minute outside the record, in two hours, five minutes and eight seconds. Another Kenyan, Geoffrey Mutai, was second, two seconds behind. The 20-year-old Ethiopian Bazu Worku was third in 2:05:25.
In the women's race, Aberu Kebede finished a minute ahead of the pre-race favourite Bezunesh Bekele, to win with a time of 2:23:58 in an Ethiopian one-two. Japan's Tomo Morimoto was third.
Makau, Mutai and Eliud Kiptanui, another Kenyan, had set their sights on Gebrselassie's world record, of 2:03:59, that was set on the same course two years ago. Makau ran the fourth fastest time ever, 2:04:48, in Rotterdam in April, with Mutai second.
Today the three Kenyans' split time after 10km was only seven seconds slower than Gebrselassie's record time at the same stage, but the bad weather took its toll and at halfway they were more than half a minute off.
Kiptanui peeled off as his countrymen were joined by Worku. Worku fell 20 metres behind with two kilometres to go and Makau held on for first place.