BERLIN, 27 September 2004 — Felix Limo extended Kenya’s dominance of the Berlin marathon by winning the race in miserable weather conditions yesterday. Limo gave Kenya their sixth successive victory in the event by covering the 42.195-km course across the German capital in two hours six minutes 44 seconds.
Fellow Kenyan Joseph Riri came a close second in 2:06:49 and Joshua Chelanga completed a clean sweep for Kenya by taking third place in 2:07:05.
Rain and wind prevented Limo from getting close to the world-record time of 2:04:55 set by his compatriot Paul Tergat in Berlin last year. Limo, 24, also failed to better the fastest marathon time this year which he had set by winning in 2:06:14 in Rotterdam in April.
Yoko Shibui gave Japan their fifth victory in succession in the women’s race in a course record 2:19:41. Hiromi Ominami, also of Japan, took second place in 2:23.26 while local favorite Sonja Oberem finished a distant third in 2:26.53.
The previous fastest women’s Berlin time of 2:19:46 was set by Japan’s Naoko Takahashi in 2001. The 25-year-old Shibui’s time was the fastest this year, inside Kenyan Margaret Okayo’s mark of 2:22:35 set when she won in London in April.
“I can run faster but I need time before I can go for the world record,” said Shibui, when asked whether she felt Briton Paula Radcliffe’s world record of 2:15:25 was within reach.
