Legendary runner Eliud Kipchoge on Sunday won the Berlin Marathon and set a new world record.

Kipchoge became the new world record holder after running 2:01:39 to establish himself as one of the best distance runners in history.

He broke the previous world record set in Berlin by Kenyan Dennis Kimetto in 2014 by 1 minute and 18 seconds an improvement that had not been witnessed in fifty years.

It was a clean sweep for Kenya after Amos Kipruto came in second with 2:06:23 while Wilson Kipsang won with 2:06:48 as the unofficial time.

Kenya's Gladys Cherono also smashed the Berlin marathon coming first in the women's race after running 2:18:10 (unofficial) and setting a new course record and world-leading time.

Kipchoge won his marathon debut in Hamburg in the spring of 2013 running 2:05:30.

He finished second in Berlin a few months later behind Wilson Kipsang, a fellow Kenyan who needed to set what was then a world record to outlast Kipchoge in the final miles.

Kipchoge has since gone undefeated: 8 for 8, including a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games.

New York Times in a publication on Kipchoge wrote: "Elite distance runners generally run no more than two marathons each year."

The Newspaper added: "When Kipchoge actually enters a race, he sends ripples through the field before his races even begin. Kipchoge has that rare LeBron-esque quality. He is the outlier among outliers. His races will never be slow and tactical."