(CNN) Kenyan Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge set a new marathon world record Sunday, winning the Berlin race in 2 hours, 1 minute and 39 seconds.

Kipchoge finished with "a new world record that will be remembered for decades," the Berlin Marathon tweeted, describing him as "the greatest marathon runner of all times."

Kipchoge, 33, broke the previous world record by more than one minute, an improvement not seen in five decades, the Berlin Marathon said.

The marathon had initially given his unofficial time as 2 hours, 1 minute and 40 seconds, then adjusted it by one second.

"The winning time is now official and another second faster: 2:01:39 for Eliud Kipchoge!" it said.

For months before the race, Kipchoge has maintained that he was focused on winning in Berlin. After his dazzling finish, he said he was speechless.

"I lack the words to describe how I feel," Kipchoge said. "It was really hard, but I was truly prepared to run my own race. I had to focus on the work I had put in in Kenya and that is what helped push me."

Kenyans Amos Kipruto finished second in 2:06:23 and Wilson Kipsang was third in 2:06:48.

For the women's race, Kenyan Gladys Cherono won in 2:18:11, followed by Ethiopians Ruti Aga in 2:18:34 and Tirunesh Dibaba in 2:18:55.

Kipchoge has won 10 of the 11 marathons he's run. The only time he did not win was in Berlin five years ago, when he finished second, according to the International Association of Athletics Federations.