Yomi Omogbeja (22/11/2004)

Kenya's Caroline Cheptanui has broken the course record at the 10th Palermo City Marathon.

Cheptanui, 23, cleaned out the 2:32:24 set by Poland's Krystina Kuta in 1999, when she crossed the finish line in a time of 2:31:15.

Italian champion Ornella Ferrara was second in 2:38:21, well ahead of compatriot Vanessa Diliberto who came in third with 3:10:54.

This victory was the first major win for the Kenyan woman at any marathon distance, after playing second fiddle at both the 2003 Venice marathon and in 2004 Prague International Marathon.

She also ran out of gas and had to be checked into hospital after a very fast start to the Dublin marathon last month.

An elated Cheptanui said: "We were told the course was difficult, so I used the first lap to learn and the second to make the time.

"In a completely flat marathon, I could have broken the 2:30 wall. "

Jomo Kororia, the younger brother of 1997 IAAF World Half Marathon champion, Shem Kororia, led a Kenyan clean sweep of the men’s race.

He crossed the line in a time of 2:12:22, ahead of 2004 Brescia Marathon winner Hosea Kimutai (2:13:06), Linus Ngetich (2:13:56) and Michael Chemchir (2:15:02) respectively.

Kororia also won the Country Music Marathon in Nashville with 2:12:56 last year.