Alew clinches third place with accomplished Berlin display

NN Running Team athlete Haymanot Alew produced the finest run of his life to place an outstanding third in a captivating elite men’s race at the 50th anniversary edition of the BMW Berlin Marathon.

The diminutive 26-year-old Ethiopian obliterated his previous lifetime best by almost two minutes to overhaul Kenyan Stephen Kiprop in the final kilometre and claim a richly deserved podium spot in a blistering 2:03:31.

Race honours went to Ethiopian Milkesa Mengesha in 2:03:17 as he superior speed in the latter stages saw him repel the challenge of Kenyan Cybrian Kotut, who finished five seconds further back.

On a chilly but sunny autumnal day in the German capital the diminutive Alew – who finished second at both the Mumbai and Hamburg Marathons earlier this year - was prominent from the outset and went through 10km as part of a 12-strong lead pack in a time of 28:42.

A lead group of 11 hit the halfway checkpoint in 1:00:57 led by Ethiopia’s Asmare Bazezew with Alew still firmly in contention.

A blistering 26th kilometre of 2:47 saw the lead field whittled down to eight as Kibiwott Kandie and Kiprop both took their turn at the head of affairs. However, despite the increase in tempo the man in NN Running Team colours remained calm and composed.

A group of seven men – Tadese Takele, Mengesha, Kiprop, Kotut, Alew, Dejene Megersa and Kibiwott - reached the 35km split in 1:42:14 before the race quickly started to unravel.

Kibiwott was the first to crack gradually slipping off the pack with Megersa the second athlete to find the tempo too strong.

Takele, the pre-race favourite, was the next athlete to be shed leaving four men in the race for glory entering the final 5km.

Alew, who had executed an outstanding race, started to show the first visible signs of distress around 40km losing contact as Mengesha and Kotut put the hammer down.

Kiprop was the next to crack and while Menegsha opened up his winning lead on Kotut in the final kilometre, the plucky Alew remained resolute slowing reeling in Kiprop before passing the Kenyan in the latter stages to claim a memorable podium finish by a six-second margin.

In a captivating Berlin Marathon only 20 seconds separated the top four athletes.

In the women’s race Tigist Ketema stormed to an emphatic win a blistering 2:16:42 as NN Running Team athlete Genzebe Dibaba withdrew before the 25km mark.

Dibaba, the 2015 World 1500m champion and a 2:18:05 marathon runner at her best, was 47 seconds down on Ketema at 10km. By halfway the margin on the eventual race winner had opened up to nearly three minutes and the Ethiopian, who won the 2016 Olympic 1500m silver medal, who has clearly having a bad day dropped out shortly after.

Out front Ketema would not be denied, storming to victory by more than two minutes followed by fellow Ethiopian athletes Mestawot Fikir (2:18:48) and Bosena Mulatie (2:19:00).