AP, Vienna :
Getu Feleke of Ethiopia overcame stomach problems in the closing kilometers of the Vienna City Marathon to win the event in a course-record time on Sunday.
Feleke accelerated and left behind a leading group after 30 kilometers. He finished in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 41 seconds and beat the best mark, set by Henry Sugut of Kenya two years ago, by 1:17.
“In the last two kilometers I had problems with my stomach. I could have been faster,” said Feleke, who earned his second career marathon victory after winning in Amsterdam in 2010. Feleke became the first non-Kenyan winner of the Vienna event since 2007.
Alfred Kering finished second in 2:08:28 and fellow Kenyan Philip Sanga came another 30 seconds behind in third.
In cloudy conditions and with temperatures up to 12 degrees C (54 F), three-time winner Sugut lost touch with the leading group after 20 kilometers and quit the race shortly afterward. 2011 champion John Kiprotich, the only other former winner in the field, couldn’t keep up with the leading pace from the ninth kilometer.
“It was a very good race except for the wind,” Feleke said. “There was strong wind between the 24th and 26th kilometer and when I was running alone after 30 kilometers.”
Feleke, who set his personal best of 2:04:50 in Rotterdam three years ago, made his debut on the marathon distance in Vienna five years ago.
