BEIJING (AP) – Ghirmay Ghebreslassie became the youngest man to win the marathon at the world championships, using a late surge to take the title on a sweltering Saturday.
The 19-year-old Eritrean grabbed his country’s flag as he entered the Bird’s Nest and waved it to the cheering crowd. He finished in finished in 2 hours, 12 minutes, 27 seconds to hold off Yemane Tsegay of Ethiopia by 40 seconds. Munyo Solomon Mutai of Uganda was third.
Defending world champion and 2012 London Olympic gold medalist Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda wound up sixth.
It was the first marathon win from Ghebreslassie, whose parents encouraged him to attend university over becoming an international runner. This turned out pretty good, too.
The race began early with the temperature already hot. It only soared from there, with the thermometer reading 28 degrees Celsius (83 degrees Fahrenheit) by the time the racers finished. The field tried to find shade whenever possible, hugging the side of the road to gain cover from the trees if only for a few steps. They also ran under coolers spraying water in the second half of the race.