Tergat had to sprint at the finish to hold off his compatriot and pacemaker, Sammy Korir, who finished second in 2:04:56 with another Kenyan, Titus Munji, finishing in third place.

Tergat's time shatters the previous world best time of 2:05:38 set by Moroccan-born American Khalid Khannouchi in London last year.

"I knew deep in my head that one day I would get this world record, and today everything fell into place," said the 34-year-old. "It was a relief after training for so long. But I couldn't believe the time, I thought I could maybe do low 2:05, but 2:04 was fantastic.

"I realised during the race that we were on course for a great time and I was careful not to force the pace too much. That tactic paid off."

He collected a prize of 30,000 euros (dollars) for the victory and a 50,000-euro bonus for his world best time.

Tergat is considered a cross-country specialist having won a record five consecutive world titles from 1995 to 1999.

Having finished second behind Khannouchi's record-breaking run in London in 2:05:48, he emphatically claimed his first marathon win in six starts and set the third world record of his career.

He set the 10,000 metres world record with 26:27.85 in 1997, although the time was improved a year later by his Ethiopian rival Haile Gebrselassie, and owns the world's best time of 59:17 for the half-marathon.

Yasuko Hashimoto won the women's race in a time of 2:26:32 to hand Japan their fourth consecutive victory in the women's race.

Berlin has a reputation for producing fast times and Tergat's achievemnent came despite a late change of course so the race would finish through the Brandenburg Gate.

It is the fourth world record registered in the German capital in five years, since Ronaldo da Costa of Brazil started the sequence in 1998.

Tegla Loroupe set a women's record the following year in 2:20:43, and that was broken by Naoko Takahashi of Japan in 2001, when she became the first woman under two hours 20 minutes, with her 2:19:46.

BEST SO FAR

AFP, Paris

Progression of world best times in the men's marathon following Paul Tergat's new benchmark in Berlin on Sunday:

2:08:33 -- Derek Clayton (AUS), 1969 at Antwerp (BEL)

2:08:13 -- Alberto Salazar (USA), 1981 at New York (USA)

2:08:05 -- Steve Jones (GBR), 1984 at Chicago (USA)

2:07:12 -- Carlos Lopes (POR), 20/04/85 at Rotterdam (NED)

2:06:50 -- Belayneh Dinsamo (ETH), 17/04/88 at Rotterdam (NED)

2:06:05 -- Ronaldo Da Costa (BRA), 20/09/98, at Berlin

2:05:42 -- Khalid Khannouchi (MAR), 24/10/99, at Chicago (USA)

2:05:38 -- Khalid Khannouchi (USA), 14/04/02, at London

2:04:56 -- Sammy Korir (KEN), 28/09/03, at Berlin

2:04:55 -- Paul Tergat (KEN), 28/09/03, at Berlin