Amane Beriso Shankule capped an amazing personal calendar year of running to become the World Champion as Gotytom Gebreslase got silver and Fatima Gardadi of Morocco prevented the Ethiopian sweep. Lindsay Flanagan led the Americans in 9th.

Hellen Obiri bided her time and then struck to pull away from a star-studded women's lead pack that included American Emma Bates.

There will be five sub-2:18 women and 16 sub-2:21 women on the start line in Hopkinton -- both all-time records for a women's marathon.

Super fast times, the fastest men's second half ever, the fastest debut ever (men's and women's race) and controversy - the rabbits didn't go with Beriso when she dropped Gidey. Valencia had it all. Final Recap.

2015 champ Gladys Cherono (2:19 pb) is the strong favorite on paper and will be going for the course record. Her main competition is Ethiopia's Amane Beriso (2:20 pb) and fellow Kenyan Valary Aiyabei (2:21 pb), who has won 4 straight marathons and is making her WMM debut.

We break down the 2017 Tokyo women's race where Kenya's Lucy Kabuu (2:19:34 pb) returns to the marathon for the first time in two + years.

Kebede will look to become the fourth woman to win Berlin three times (she also won in '10 and '12) and the 21st woman under 2:20. Can rising stars Amane Beriso (2:20:48 in Dubai, 5th-fastest debut ever) or Birhane Dibaba (2015 Tokyo champ) take her down?

The top 8 men have ran 2:06 or faster while the women are lead by Ethiopians Aberu Kebede (2:20:30) and Amane Beriso (2:20:48).

Sumgong for her first major win despite a big fall.

Defending champ Caroline Rotich is back, and she'll battle a deep field that is devoid of any studs. Dubai champ Tirfi Tsegaye (LRC World #1 in '14), Amsterdam/Honolulu champ Joyce Chepkirui and Buzunesh Deba (who finished 2nd behind doper Rita Jeptoo in '14) plus several others will look to wrest the crown from Rotich. Neely Spence Gracey (debut) and Sarah Crouch are the lone U.S. pros.

Mutai is out "due to not meeting training goals while Ethiopian Amane Beriso (5th fastest debut of all time with 2:20:48 from Dubai) was added to the field.

Do you have a marathon barrier you want to break? Be inspired by Tirfi Tsegaye who broke 2:20 for the 1st time in her 19th career marathon.