The Rotterdam Marathon: the Men's 10 Fastest Winning Times

Adam Hornbuckle, Yahoo! Contributor Network
May 1, 2010 "Share your voice on Yahoo! websites. Start Here."

First held in 1981, the Rotterdam Marathon immediately earned a reputation for yielding fast times, as the winner of the inaugural race, John Graham, of the United Kingdom, posted 2:09:28, the third fastest time in the world that year. Since then the winning times have steadily dropped to below two hours and five minutes.

Since 1999, Kenyan runners have won the Rotterdam Marathon, dominating it as they have other major marathon races during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Kenyan runners hold seven of the ten fastest winning times on the Rotterdam course. Winning performances by runners from Ethiopia, Portugal, and Spain round out the top ten winning times.

2:04:27 - Duncan Kibet Kirong (Kenya) April 5, 2009

Kirong produced the fastest winning time of 2:04:27 at the 2009 Rotterdam Marathon in 2:04:27. The time ranks as history's third fastest time. His countryman, James Kipsang Kwambai, posted the same time in second place. Both runners share the Kenyan national record.

2:04:48 - Patrick Makau Musyoki (Kenya) April 11, 2010

Musyoki produced the second fastest winning time of 2:04:48 at the 2010 Rotterdam Marathon. The third fastest time overall at Rotterdam, it ranks as the fourth fastest winning time in history, and the fifth fastest time overall. He finished in fourth place, in 2:06:14, at Rotterdam in 2009.

2:05:49 - William Kipsang (Kenya) April 13, 2008

Kipsang produced the third fastest winning time of 2:05:49 at the 2008 Rotterdam Marathon. The first time under 2:06 on the Rotterdam course, it stood as the course record until Kibet clocked 2:04:27 in 2009.

2:06:14 - Felix Limo (Kenya) April 4, 2004

Limo produced the fourth fastest winning time of 2:06:14 at the 2004 Rotterdam Marathon. He knocked 36 seconds off the course record of 2:06:50 established by Belayneh Dinsamo in 1988.

2:06:38 - Sammy Korir (Kenya) April 9, 2006

Korir produced the fifth fastest winning time of 2:06:38 at the 2006 Rotterdam Marathon.

2:06:50 - Belayneh Dinsamo (Ethiopia) April 17, 1988

Dinsamo produced the sixth fastest winning time of 2:06:50 at the 1988 Rotterdam Marathon. He sliced 22 seconds off the course record of 2:07:12 established by Carlos Lopes in 1985. Equaled by Josephat Kiprono in 2001, the time stood as the course record until 2004, when Felix Limo clocked 2:06:14. Dinsamo's performance also surpassed the world record of 2:07:12 established by Carlos Lopes in 1985, and stood as the global standard until 1998, when Ronaldo da Costa posted 2:06:05 in Berlin.

2:06:50 - Josephat Kiprono (Kenya) April 22, 2001

Kiprono produced the seventh fastest winning time of 2:06:50 at the 2001 Rotterdam Marathon. His time equaled the course record established by Belayneh Dinsamo in 1988.

2:07:09 - Japhet Kosgei Kipkorir (Kenya) April 18, 1999

Kosgei produced the eighth fastest winning time of 2:07:09 at the 1999 Rotterdam Marathon.

2:07:12 - Carlos Lopes (Portugal) April 20, 1985

Lopes produced the ninth fastest winning time of 2:07:12 at the 1985 Rotterdam Marathon. His surpassed the world record of 2:08:05 established by Steve Jones, of the United Kingdom, in 1984, and the course record of 2:08:37 established by Robert de Castella, of Australia, in 1983. Lopes held the course and world records until Belayneh Dinsamo eclipsed both at Rotterdam in 1988.

2:07:26 - Fabián Roncero (Spain) April 19, 1998

Roncero produced the tenth fastest winning time of 2:07:26 at the 1998 Rotterdam Marathon.

References:

Association of Road Racing Statisticians, World Marathon Rankings for 1981, ARRS Official Website

Ottavio Castellini, Belayneh Dinsamo, IAAF Official Website

Ottavio Castellini, Carlos Lopes, IAAF Official Website

Ottavio Castellini, Duncan Kibet Kirong, IAAF Official Website

Ottavio Castellini, Fabián Roncero, IAAF Official Website

Ottavio Castellini, Felix Limo, IAAF Official Website

Ottavio Castellini, James Kipsang Kwambai, IAAF Official Website

Ottavio Castellini, Japhet Kosgei Kipkorir, IAAF Official Website

Ottavio Castellini, John Graham, IAAF Official Website