ROTTERDAM
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| Eliud Kipchoge during a past Hamburg Marathon |
(AP) Pre-race favourite Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya won the Rotterdam Marathon on Sunday, but failed in his bid to break the course record on a windy day in the port city.
Kipchoge ran the final seven kilometres on his own through the streets of Rotterdam to finish in exactly 2 hours, five minutes. Fellow Kenyan Bernard Koech was second in 2:06.07.
Organisers had hoped to break the course record of 2:04.27 set in 2009 by Kenyans Duncan Kibet and James Kwambai, but pacemakers dropped out regularly as wind hindered the runners.
“I’m happy to win the race,” Kipchoge said. “Next time, I will come for the course record.”
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