Athletes run under water sprinklers during the men's marathon in Beijing.
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Morocco's Jaouad Gharib took silver in 2:07.16, with Tsegay Kebede catching exhausted Ethiopian compatriot Deriba Merga on the final lap inside the Bird's Nest for bronze.
"I pushed and pushed, I had to, to tire the others," said Wankiru. "My plan was to push my body to the limits."
The victory capped a terrific athletics campaign for Kenya, who scooped five gold, five silver and four bronze medals.
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