Hamburg, Germany - Spain's 31-year-old Julio Rey won today's 18th Olympus Hamburg Marathon with over a four minute margin in a time of 2:07:27, and Helen Kimoutai of Kenya took the women's laurels in 2:25.52.

It was Rey's second Hamburg victory but unlike in 2001 (2:07:46)when he won a desparate sprint finish, this year he met little resistance from other athletes but instead had to fight hard against a strong wind.

The difficult conditions make his time which broke his own course record and personal best by 19 seconds, and that of the women's winner Hellen Kimutai who also achieved a personal best, all the more remarkable.

Rey's time was the fifth fastest time of the year and proved once again that fast times can be run on Hamburg’s marathon course. For the first time Hamburg’s winner produced a faster time than in London, Rotterdam and Boston.

Rey, who was guided by pacemakers during the first part of the race, had soon left his rivals behind. At 10k a chasing group led by last year’s winner Christopher Kandie was trailing 200 metres behind. Already a couple of  kilometres earlier he had lost the pacemaker, as his brother Fernando could not stand his pace.

By a little after half way, which Rey reached in 63:41 minutes, the 31-year-old Spaniard was on his own, and despite being alone for nearly 20k he hardly slowed, although the wind was hindering him especially during the last part of the race.

Rey covered the second half just five seconds slower, and finished with ease as in comparison to 2001. Two years ago it was down to a sprint finish, with his countryman Francisco Javier Cortes being bettered by just two seconds. This time, second placed Henry Cherono (Kenya/2:11:55) was nearly four and a half minutes behind.

“I had hoped to run faster, but the wind was a problem. It took some strength to run against it. Additionally, I had to run alone for a long time, in other circumstances I could have run a European record”, confirmed Julio Rey, who missed Fabián Roncero’s Spanish record by just four seconds.

The continental mark held by António Pinto (Portugal/2:06:36) had been tied by Benoit Zwierchiewski (France), who was the runner up in the Paris Marathon three weeks ago, and it is Paris, and the IAAF World Championships in August, where Julio Rey is looking to next.

Rey was the European Championships Marathon bronze medallist last summer in Munich in a time of 2:13:21, and finished 18th in the long race at the recent World Cross Country Championships in Lausanne.

In the women’s race, Hellen Kimutai was well ahead of her rivals as well. But it was a different race. The 25-year-old Kenyan was chasing Belgium’s Marleen Renders in the first part of the race.

The Belgium record holder (2:23:05) once again set a fast pace, but could not stand it. While Renders got problems and faltered to a disappointing fourth place (2:28:31), Kimutai, who was third in last year’s Berlin Marathon (2:26:10), ran another personal best of 2:25:53.

“I did not expect such a result after my training”, the Kenyan said. She was nearly two minutes ahead of Shitaye Gemechu (Ethiopia/2:27:46).

It was not a good day for German women, who had dominated the Hamburg Marathon so often in past years. Sonja Oberem, who had won in 2002 and 2001, was not able to start due to an inflamed disk in her back. A back problem also stopped Luminita Zaituc, runner up in last year’s European Championships in Munich, after just 15k. And for Claudia Dreher the race was over at 28k because of muscle problems.

With 21,551 entries the Olympus Hamburg Marathon is Germany’s second biggest marathon, although a figure of only 16,300 starters turned up. That was probably partly due to the weather, which had been worse the night before with high winds and rain.

In general, road running gets more and more popular in Germany. It is just days ago that the organisers of the Real Berlin Marathon, which sees its 30th edition on 28th September, announced that nearly 26,000 runners have already entered Germany’s biggest marathon. That means little more than 9,000 athletes can still enter, before the record limit of 35,000 runners is reached and the door is closed.

Jörg Wenig for the IAAF

Results

Men: 1. Rey ESP 2:07:27, 2. Cherono KEN 2:11:55, 3. Rutto KEN 2:11:59, 4. Lima BRA 2:12:16, 5. Shvetsov RUS 2:12:43, 6. Isaac Kiprono KEN 2:12:54, 7. Wyatt NZL 2:13:00, 8. Keijzar SLO 2:13:26, 9. Polisa GRE 2:14:14, 10. Beckmann GER 2:15:15.

Women: 1. Kimutai KEN 2:25:53, 2. Gemechu ETH 2:27:46, 3. Javornik SLO 2:28:13, 4. Renders BEL 2:28:31, 5. Paradowska POL 2:29:17, 6. Narroch BRA 2:29:59, 7. Chirita ROM 2:32:55, 8. Silva POR 2:32:57, 9. Jensen DEN 2:33:36, 10. Renz GER 2:35:39.