LUKE Kibet, the world champion, put 12 months of trauma and frustration behind him yesterday as he romped to victory in the men's event at the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon in record time.

The 2007 World Championships winner breasted the tape in 2hr 13min 1sec, shaving more than a minute off the course record held by compatriot Elijah Mbogo, who won last year's edition in 2:14:23.

It was an emotional triumph for the 25-year-old prison inspector, who was attacked during ethnic violence in his homeland last year and has struggled for form ever since.

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