Berlin: Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele stormed to victory in the Berlin marathon on Sunday, out-sprinting his main rival Wilson Kipsang of Kenya to finish just outside the world record in the second fastest race of all time.
Bekele, a triple Olympic champion and world record holder over 5,000 and 10,000m, withstood a blistering pace set by Kipsang early on and attacked with two kilometres left, crossing the line in a time of two hours, three minutes and four seconds, seven seconds off Dennis Kimetto's world record.
Kenyan Kipsang, a former world record holder who won in Berlin three years ago but like Bekele missed last month's Rio Olympics, could not match the Ethiopian's pace towards the end and finished nine seconds adrift.
Kimetto set the record in Berlin in 2014.