Geoffrey Mutai edged out his training partner Dennis Kimetto by one second to win the 2012 Berlin Marathon in what was one of the closest races of the season—maybe. The Kenyan pair matched each other stride-for-stride for the first 26.2 miles, but over the closing straightaway it didn’t appear that either Mutai or Kimetto gave a final kick. Mutai finished with a time of 2:04:15, and Kimetto came in at 2:04:16. and , “The integrity of our sport is at stake.” Why? The victory gave Mutai the 2011-12 World Marathon Majors title, which carries with it a $500,000 purse. (Second place in the WMM earns $0.) Kimetto didn’t stand to win anything—other than the race—by finishing in first rather than second. The top finishers in the Berlin, New York City, Boston, London, and Chicago marathons earn points toward the two-year World Marathon Majors series.
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