41st BMW BERLIN MARATHON: Dennis Kimetto makes history, setting a new world record to win in under 2:03 hours.

Berlin. Dennis Kimetto won the 41st BMW BERLIN MARATHON in a new world record time of 2:02.57 hours. Never before had an athlete completed the 42.195-kilometre marathon distance in under two hours and three minutes. Kimetto was involved in a thrilling duel with compatriot Emmanuel Mutai, and was only able to pull clear around the 39-kilometre mark. By then, however, the two Kenyans had pushed each other to new highs: Mutai, who crossed the finish line 16 seconds behind the winner, also ducked below the previous world record of 2:03.23 hours, which was set at last year’s BMW BERLIN MARATHON by Wilson Kipsang.

A million thrilled spectators lined the course and were also witness to a win for Tirfi Tsegaye (Ethiopia, 2:20.18 hours) in the ladies race. BMW Sport Ambassador Katarina Witt joined the Lord Mayor of Berlin, Klaus Wowereit, and Stefanie Wurst, Marketing Manager BMW Germany, to give the starting signal. “The atmosphere out on the course was awesome. I was able to experience that at close hand, as I travelled the entire distance in the middle of the field of runners in a BMW i8 super sports car,” said a delighted Witt. “Even for me, as a resident of Berlin, that was an extraordinary tour of the city. It was a wonderful festival of running. My pulse is still racing a bit,” said the two-time Olympic ice dancing champion.

“We are very proud that sporting history has been made again here in Berlin. The BMW BERLIN MARATHON once again lived up to its reputation as the fastest course in the world. Not one, but two runners went under last year’s world record time. That is sensational, and has never happened before. Dennis Kimetto produced an outstanding display to clock a time under 2:03 hours – and I would like to congratulate him on behalf of BMW on that achievement. The same obviously goes for Tirfi Tsegaye, who was unbeatable in the ladies race today,” said Stefanie Wurst. “The entire event set a new benchmark again this year. I would like to say a big thank you to our partners, the organiser SSC EVENTS GmbH and, in particular, the 5,500 volunteers. It was the perfect stage for the fully-electric BMW i3, our official timing and lead car, and obviously the revolutionary plug-in hybrid sports car, the BMW i8.”

The best-placed German was Anna Hahner, who came home seventh in a time of 2:26:44 hours. In doing so, she bettered her previous personal best by over a minute. In total, 60,000 athletes were in action across all the competitions at the BMW BERLIN MARATHON.

To mark the opening of the 41st BMW BERLIN MARATHON on Friday evening, more than 500 renowned guests from the worlds of politics, the economy, society and sport were invited to the traditional get-together in the new Berlin branch of BMW at Kaiserdamm. The highlight of the atmospheric evening was the exclusive advanced premiere of the new BMW 2 Series Active Tourer.

The BMW i3 makes its next outing as official timing and lead car on 12th October: for the third year in a row, the German Marathon Championships will take place at the 29th MUNICH MARATHON.