Eliud Kipchoge sets new world record in Berlin Marathon win

Kipchoge ran virtually half the race alone after dropping the last pacemaker Josephat Bout at the 25km mark having taken him through in 1:12:24 which was 36 seconds within World Record pace.

Eliud Kipchoge obliterated the marathon world record with an astonishing 2:01.39 run in Berlin on Sunday.

In doing so, he becomes the first person to ever run under 2:02:00, in a time that won't be beaten soon.

"I had a great belief that I would run a world record", Kipchoge told the TV broadcast.

"It was hard. I ran my own race, I trusted my trainers, my programme and my coach".

"It wasn't a plan (running without pacemakers) because I thought I would go with them to 30km but it was unfortunate". He broke the record by a minute and seventeen seconds.

The 33 year-old clocked two hours, one minute and 39 seconds, beating compatriot Dennis Kimetto's mark - also set in Berlin four years ago - by one minute and 18 seconds.

"So I want to thank everyone who has helped me", Kipchoge, who past year took part in the Nike Breaking Two project, where he ran two hours and 25 seconds with the aid of "illegal" in and out pacemakers.

Amos Kipruto finished second in 2:06:22, with former world record holder Wilson Kipsang third in 2:06:47.

Eliud Kipchoge resets the marathon world record by over a minute in Berlin.

Kipchoge ran 5km in 14:24 - which was 1:26 faster than world record pace - and passed under the 10km barrier in 29:01. Kipchoge had covered 40km in a time of 1:56:32, a whooping 57 seconds of the record. It was just a matter of how much time he could take off Kimetto's record.

Kipchoge came agonisingly close to sporting immortality by almost running the first sub two-hour marathon past year.

Kipchoge has won 10 of the 11 marathons he's run.

Fellow Kenyan Gladys Cherono won the women's race with a course record and best time of the year of 2:18:11, leaving Ethiopians Ruti Aga and pre-race favourite Tirunesh Dibaba in second and third place respectively.