/ 29 September 1999

LOROUPE SMASHES WORLD MARK

TEGLA Loroupe of Kenya set a new world record in the women’s marathon in Berlin on Sunday, clocking two hours 20 minutes and 43 seconds. Loroupe, who ran four seconds faster than the previous record, set by her in Rotterdam in 1998, beat Marleen Renders of Belgium and Fvetlana Zakharova of Russia. Renders’ time of 2:23.58 was a new personal best and Belgium record. In the men’s event Josephat Kiprono of Kenya set a new national record when winning in 2:06.44 – the third quickest men’s marathon of all time. Japan’s Takayuki Inubushi came in second in 2:06.57, a new Japanese record, with Samson Kandie of Kenya in third, the same place he finished last year, in 2:08.31. Loroupe’s fine run leaves the Berlin marathon course with both world records as Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil lowered the men’s mark to 2:06.05 when beating Kiprono last year.