BERLIN — Kenyan favorite Geoffrey Mutai survived a brave challenge by compatriot and marathon debutant Dennis Kimetto to win the Berlin marathon Sunday but narrowly failed in his quest to break the world record. Mutai's time of two hours four minutes 15 seconds on the fastest of the big city courses was more than half a minute slower than the world record set by compatriot Patrick Makau in the German capital last year. His victory gave him an unassailable lead in the world marathon majors series which awards points during a two-year cycle from finish positions in the Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York marathons with a million dollar jackpot split between the men's and women's winners. Kenya swept the podium spots with another marathon debutant, 19-year-old Geoffrey Kipsang, finishing in third place a minute and 57 seconds behind the winner. In the women's race, Ethiopia clinched a one-two double with pre-race favorite Aberu Kebede winning he second Berlin marathon in 2:20:30. Her training partner Tirfi Tsegaye was second with Ukraine's Olena Shurhno third. On a warm and sunny autumn morning more than a million fans lined the streets of Berlin to see race favorite Mutai make a bid for the world record after his failure to make the London Olympics. Mutai, 30, bettered the world mark in winning the Boston marathon last year but his time of two hours three minutes and two seconds was not recognized because the course does not meet the criteria required for world records. — Reuters
