A 2:23:12 by China’s Wei Yanan and a most unexpected 'comeback' 2:08:04 from Lee Bong-Ju respectively took the women’s and men’s titles at today's 78th Dong-A Marathon Seoul International Marathon in Sejongno, Jongno-gu, Seoul, Korea.

The winners’ times were the fastest marathons so far run in the world this year. In total over 23,000 runners took part on a course which runs along Sungryemun onto Cheonggyecheon, through the Seoul Forest, and into Jamsil Olympic Stadium after circling the city.

Lee Bong-Ju, the former double Asian Games champion (1998 and 2002) who took the 1996 Olympic silver medal, has won the Dong-A Marathon before in 1995 and was also second here in 1996.

The national record holder with 2:07:21 a time set when second in Tokyo in 2000, Lee Bong-Ju also took the 2001 Boston marathon title (2:09:43). His second Asian Games victory in 2002 was his last marathon win of any sort until today, and he had not been below 2:10 since running 2:08:15 in Seoul in 2004.

Wei Yanan of China, 25, took the women’s title in a solo 2:23:12 effort ahead of the distant pursuit of Kenya’s Rose Cheruiyot and Hellen Cherono.

Second in this race in 2005 (2:25:55) Yanan has had a chequered career. She also won in 2002 (2:25:06) but later in the year was suspended for two years after giving a positive doping test after winning the Beijing marathon.

Agencies with assistance from Ram. Murali Krishnan and Mirko Jalava for the IAAF

1 Lee Bong-Ju  KOR  2:08:04
2 Paul Kiptanui KEN  2:08:29
3 Laban Kipkemboi KEN 2:08:38
4 Edwin Komen KEN 2:08:45
5 Jason Mbote KEN 2:10:32
6 Dmytro Baranovsky UKR 2:10:51

Women

1 Wei Yanan  CHN 2:23:12
2 Rose Cheruiyot KEN 2:27:25
3 Hellen Cherono KEN 2:29:33
4 Thabita Tsatsa ZIM 2:30:12 National record
5 Worknesh Tola ETH 2:30:56
6 Chae Eun-Hee  KOR 2:32:01