Under cloudless skies, which offered no protection from the early morning sun, Jackson Limo of Kenya ran away from a competitive field to win the Banque du Liban Beirut Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday (8).His time of 2:11:04 beat the previous course record and Lebanese all-comers' record by nine seconds.The 7am start saw the temperatures already hovering around 19C, although part of the course ran along the Mediterranean where a gentle breeze was welcomed by the runners. By the finish the mercury rose to nearly 24.The pack was paced by Bahrain&rsquo;s Isaac Korir through the half-way point, reached in 1:04:21, with the Kenyan-born Korir stepping aside at that point.Limo, who said he only ran in Beirut after he was turned down by the Amsterdam Marathon organisers, put distance between himself and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Abdela Godana at the 35km mark and won by almost two minutes. The Ethiopian held on for second in 2:13:02.&ldquo;I was expecting to win the race,&rdquo; said the 27-year-old Limo, who trains alongside Eliud Kipchoge. &ldquo;I prepared very well for it. I made my move at 32km because I saw my colleagues were looking tired and I decided to push.&rdquo;At that point his compatriot Elijah Kemboi, the pre-race favourite with a 2:07:34 personal best, and Hussein Mohammed, the Ethiopian who would eventually finish third in 2:14:49, were still in contention but Limo withstood the heat better than his rivals.&ldquo;I was preparing to go to Amsterdam but they told me &lsquo;with your time you cannot come here&rsquo; so I decided to come to Beirut,&rdquo; Limo added. &ldquo;I prefer to run Beirut. I am happy I have the course record.&rdquo;While Limo earned US $10,000 for the victory and another US $4000 for beating the race record and running faster than 2:12, Godana exuded disappointment. A year ago he was also second in Beirut and thought he was well prepared for this, the 13th edition of the Beirut Marathon.&ldquo;I was expecting to win but I was tired,&rdquo; said the Ethiopian. &ldquo;I was also second last year. This year I thought I would win. When he got ten metres on me I wasn&rsquo;t thinking about him after that. I was thinking about the guy in third and worried he would catch me.&rdquo;Limo is the oldest of eight siblings and has been using his earnings as a professional runner to prepare for his and his family&rsquo;s future.&ldquo;I got some land for farming,&rdquo; Limo said. &ldquo;I built my house and am thinking of my future. I have my brothers and sisters they are in school and I still help them with education by paying their tuition fees. They run in school but they have reached the level of nationals.&rdquo;<h3>Surprise win from debutante Bouaasayriya</h3>While the men&rsquo;s race was a battle of the East Africans, it was a surprise when a Moroccan international emerged victorious in the women&rsquo;s race.Kaltoum Bouaasayriya, who represented her country at both the 2013 IAAF World Championships and the 2012 Olympics in the 3000m steeplechase, won the race in 2:36:05 with Meseret Abebayehu of Ethiopia following 21 seconds later.Pre-race favourites Elena Nagovitsyna of Russia and Lithuania&rsquo;s Diana Lobacevske both dropped out before the half-way point, the former complaining of a stitch while the Lithuanian, who will represent her country at the 2016 Rio Olympics, said she turned her ankle at 18km.It was Bouaasayriya&rsquo;s debut at the distance and she looked as if she had finished with plenty to spare. Her modest time of 2:36:05 was more the result of an admitted fear of the distance.&ldquo;I thought I would either get first or second place,&rdquo; said the 32-year-old who is coached by Bobker Rizky. &ldquo;This is my first marathon and I am very happy with it. At about 41 kilometres I knew I was going to win the race.&ldquo;I feel there was a little bit of fear because it was my first marathon,&rdquo; she added. &ldquo;I hope to run faster next time.&rdquo;A pair of Ethiopians &ndash; Meseret Abebayehu, second in 2:36:26, and Bizunesh Urgessa, third in 2:42:07 &ndash; completed the podium.Paul Gains (organisers) for the IAAF

Under cloudless skies, which offered no protection from the early morning sun, Jackson Limo of Kenya ran away from a competitive field to win the Banque du Liban Beirut Marathon, an IAAF Silver Label Road Race, on Sunday (8).

Limo beats course record at Beirut Marathon