Kenichi Suzuki of Japan made a solo run in the final 10 kilometers as he clinched the men's event of the Beijing International Marathon in Beijing on Saturday.

　 Suzuki broke away from the leading pack at the 30 km mark, breasting the tape in two hours 11 minutes and 33 seconds, well outside his personal best of 2:10:47.

　 "I was confident that I could win the race before I came here," he said. "I've trained very hard. Today's chilly weather is wonderful to me and the time is my third personal best."

　 Mogaka Rolade Boraya of Kenya finished second in 2:12:58 while Ethiopia's Turbo Tumo won the third place in 2:13:42.

　 Boraya's second-place finish was really a big surprise since this was just his first time to compete in a marathon.

　 "I had expected that it would be not bad to finish the race, " he said. "It's just unbelievable to take the second place."

　 Boraya, who has trained under a South Korean coach since April, said he can run much better next year.

　 "I think I can run two hours seven minutes next year," said the Kenyan.

　 Tumo led the field for nearly 30 kilometers and appeared a sure winner, but he faltered after that and dropped behind.

　 "I suffered a cramp in the left leg because the head wind was too cold," he said.

　 Chinese runners swept the top three places in the women's race, with Ai Dongmei emerging victorious in a time of 2:29:20.

　 Sun Yingjie, who finished sixth in last year's race, finished second in 2:31:19 and Li Yunxia third in 2:31:25.

　 Ri Kum Sil of DPR Korea took the fourth in 2:31:29, and her compatriot and world champion Jong Song Ok, third placer last year, did not enter.

　 The annual Beijing International Marathon, which was inaugurated in 1981, started at Tian'anmen Square and weaved its way through Eternal Peace Avenue, Yuetan Park, Diaoyutai Guesthouse and ended in the Olympic Stadium, the main stadium of the 11th Asian Games in 1990.

　 Some 20,000 runners from 34 countries and regions took part in the grueling race of 42.195 kilometers.

　Following are the leading results from the Beijing International Marathon:

　 Men:

　 1. Kenichi Suzuki, Japan, 2:11:33

　 2. Mogaka Rolade Boraya, Kenya, 2:12:58

　 3. Turbo Tumo, Ethiopia, 2:13:42

　 4. Dube Jilo, Ethiopia, 2:14:25

　 5. Takeharu Honda, Japan, 2:15:16

　 Women:

　 1. Ai Dongmei, China, 2:29:20

　 2. Sun Yingjie, China, 2:31:19

　 3. Li Yunxia, China, 2:31:25

　 4. Ri Kum Sil, DPR Korea, 2:31:29

　 5. Zhang Shujing, China, 2:32:19