Kenyan Captures Men's Olympic Marathon Gold; Moroccan Nabs Silver

August 24, 2008 11:14 a.m. EST

Beijing, China (AHN) - Kenyan runner Samuel Wanjiru topped the men's Olympic marathon in record time, giving Kenya its first gold in the event Sunday.

Wanjiru finished the 26.2-mile course that started at the edge of Tiananmen Square and through the Beijing streets up to the Bird's Nest in an Olympic record time of 2 hours, 6 minutes and 32 seconds.

Morocco's Jaouad Gharib, a two-time world champion came in second in 2:07:16 to win the silver, while Ethiopia's Tsegay Kebebe settled for the bronze with a time of 2:10:00.

Wanjiru's win gives Kenya a total of 14 medals in the track and field event, second only to the United States, who finished with 23.

The 21-year-old runner, who finished second at the London Marathon in April, managed to stay with then leader Deriba Merga of Ethiopia after almost 19 kilometers of the race.

Merga, however, faltered and finished fourth place.

Wanjiru's time breaks the previous Olympic mark of 2:09:21 set by Portugal's Carlos Lopes in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometers which became standardized in 1921.