He missed the course record by 19 seconds set by fellow Kenyan Felix Kandie four years ago.

The next two spots were taken by Ethiopians Tiruneh Workneh Tesfa in second with a time of 2:12.52 and Azmeraw Mengistu third in 2:13.20.

Shelmith Muriuki made it a Kenyan double as she won the women’s race in 2:36.46.

A record 18,750 runners from 105 countries took part in the marathon which began near the tumulus erected for the Greek dead from the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC and ended in the Panathinaiko Stadium in Athens, site of the first modern Olympics in 1896.

Many of the runners wore green headbands from the 12- to 16-kilometre section of the race in support of a project launched by the race organisers to regenerate the region with trees along that section of the course.

Another 36,250 participated in the shorter five-kilometre and 10-kilometre races in downtown Athens.