Eliud Kipchoge reaffirmed his status as the finest marathon runner in history with victory in Berlin yesterday but the Kenyan came up just short in his bid to add the world record to his list of conquests as he dug deep to merely prevail.

In challenging conditions, and under threat from the unheralded Ethiopian Guye Adola on his debut at the distance, the Olympic champion pushed himself through evident pain to cross the line in 2:03.32, just 36 seconds short of Dennis Kimetto’s global best.

Four months removed from setting an astonishing unofficial mark of 2 hours and 25 seconds at the Nike-backed Breaking2 event around the Monza racetrack, it almost felt an anti-climax. Yet with expected rivals Wilson Kipsang and Kenenisa Bekele dropping out, it was left to Adola to push the 32-year-old until the closing stages before he swept clear.

“I am disappointed that the world record wasn’t possible but I am happy to run this time in these conditions,” Kipchoge said. “I did not expect anyone other than Bekele and Kipsang with me at the finish line but this is sport and I am very happy for him that he ran such a great race.”

Jonny Mellor was the leading Brit in tenth in 2:12:57. Kenya’s Gladys Cherono won the women’s race in 2:20:23 with Britain’s Sonia Samuels seventh.