The mighty Kenyan marathoners wilted in the heat and humidity of Beijing, with the current world-record holder dropping out late and none of them finishing anywhere near the podium — or even in the top 20, for that matter.
Not a day — a sweltering one at that — to remember for a nation so rich in marathon tradition. Just the opposite for teenager Ghirmay Ghebreslassie, a 19-year-old Eritrean who became the youngest man to win the marathon at the world championships on Saturday.
Ghebreslassie finished in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 27 seconds, holding off Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia by 40 seconds. Solomon Mutai of Uganda was third, while his teammate, defending world champion Stephen Kiprotich, was sixth.
The soaring temperature didn’t seem to bother Ghebreslassie, who said “the weather was very nice for me.” The searing heat certainly thwarted the Kenyans, whose top finisher was Mark Korir in 22nd, a distant 8:52 behind Ghebreslassie’s winning time.
Korir at least finished. Current world-record holder Dennis Kimetto dropped out late in the race. So did Wilson Kipsang, the former world-record holder.