World record holder Kipchoge breaks course mark to win Tokyo Marathon

TOKYO, March 6 (Xinhua) -- World record holder Eliud Kipchoge won his fourth major marathon with a course mark at the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday.

The 37-year-old Kenyan finished the race in front of the Tokyo railway station with a time of 2:02:40, the fourth-fastest official time in history which is slightly slower than his world record of 2:01:39.

Kipchoge, who retained the Olympic champion last summer at the Tokyo Games, now holds three of the four fastest records ever.

This is the fourth major marathon Kipchoge has won following victories in Berlin, London, and Chicago.

His compatriot Amos Kipruto finished second in 2:03:13, also beating the course record of 2:03:58 set by Wilson Kipsang of Kenya in 2017. Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola took third in 2:04:14, followed by Japan's national record holder Kengo Suzuki at fourth in 2:05:28.

In the women's race, world record holder Kenyan Brigid Kosgei won the title in 2:16:02, cutting the previous course record by one minute and 43 seconds.

Ashete Bekere finished second in 2:17:58 and her fellow Ethiopian Gotytom Gebreslase finished third in 2:18:18.