BERLIN (AP) _ Patrick Makau of Kenya won the 37th Berlin Marathon on Sunday, but failed to break the world record set on the course two years ago.
Makau ran through the rain-soaked German capital in 2 hours 5 minutes and 8 seconds, finishing 2 seconds ahead of countryman Geoffrey Mutai. Bazu Worku of Ethiopia was third.
The Kenyans had hoped to break the world record of Ethiopian great Haile Gebrselassie, who ran the Berlin Marathon in 2:03:59 in 2008.
Gebrselassie was absent from Berlin this year. He is running the New York City Marathon in November.
Aberu Kebede of Ethiopia won the women’s race in 2:23:58, a minute ahead of her compatriot Bezunesh Bekele. Tomo Morimoto of Japan was third.
Makau also fell short of the year’s best time, 2:04:48, which he set at the Rotterdam Marathon in May.
More than 40,000 runners started the Berlin Marathon in persistent rain.