AMSTERDAM, Oct 16: Ethiopia’s Haile Gebrselassie won the Amsterdam marathon on Sunday with a new course record and the fastest time of the year.

The double Olympic 10,000m champion clocked 2hr 6min 20sec to finish ahead of Kenya’s Daniel Yego (2:08.58) and Ethiopia’s Tefaye Tola (2:09.17).

In the women’s race, Kutre Dulecha of Ethiopia finished first with 2:30.05.

Gebrselassie, hoping to get close to the world record of 2:04.55, started quickly and was on course to better the mark at the 35km point but then faded over the final kilometres to still manage a personal best.

“During the last five kilometres, I just could not move my legs any faster, I lacked strength,” said Gebrselassie, visibly disappointed.

The previous best time this year of 2:07.02 was set by Kenya’s Felix Limo on October 9 in Chicago. The course record at Amsterdam had been set by Kenya’s Robert Cheboror with 2:06.23 last year.

Results:

Men

1. Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) 2hr 6min 20sec, 2. Daniel Yego (KEN) 2:08.59, 3. Tesfaye Tola (ETH) 2:09.17, 4. Bernard Barmasai (KEN) 2:10.52, 5. George Okworo (KEN) 2:11.49, 6. Andrew Limo (KEN) 2:12.13, 7. Jamal Baligha (MAR) 2:15.22, 8. Sander Schutgens (NED) 2:17.53, 9. Dennis Jensen (DEN) 2:18.36, 10. Alfred Shemweta (SWE) 2:19.36

Women

1. Kutre Dulecha (ETH) 2:30.06, 2. Kristijna Loonen (NED) 2:34.08, 3. Sue Harrison (ENG) 2:38.25, 4. Charne Rademeyer (RSA) 2:39.26, 5. Bizunesh Bekele (ETH) 2:41.40 —AFP