It was a new personal record for the Kenyan, who finished second in the marathon last year.

Speaking minutes after the race, he said he was not even tired.

“I’m okay. It was a fast course,” he said, as sweat poured off him. “I felt strong from the start and relaxed.”

The silver medal went to Tseko Mpolokeng from South Africa, who finished nearly two minutes ahead of his brother, Zacharia.

“I’m a long miler who runs the 10K and this was my first marathon. I was going for a win but the wind was too strong for me,” he said.

Julius Kimtai from Kenya claimed third place, while the first woman was Yelena Burykina from Russia.

More than 10,000 people from 60 different countries took part in the marathon, which is now in its 25th year. Most of the 30 top athletes finished the 26.2 mile race within two and a half hours, but for others it took up to eight.

The competitors included 34 people who had run in all 25 Dublin marathons and a man who had already run two treadmill marathons in 48 hours for charity.

Emer Patton, 22, from Drumcondra in Dublin pushed her way into first place in the wheelchair category despite having to get her glasses fixed with sticky tape along the way after they broke and finished with a time of 3:19,

“To be honest, I’m a bit disappointed with my time,” she said.

“I train five or six days a week. We do track sessions, park sessions, rowing sessions and gym sessions.”

Dick Hooper, 48, from Raheny in Dublin watched the proceedings from the top of a double-decker bus. As the winner of the first Dublin marathon in 1982, he said he was pleased with its success but disappointed with the fall off in Irish performances.

“The Irish are not keeping pace with it internationally, unfortunately,” he said.

“We just don’t seem to be producing the marathon runners we had back in the 1980s. The fellas then could run 2:13, 2:14 or 2:15 but the first Irishman today was 2:24.”

Gary Crossan and Pauric McKinney, both from Letterkenny, Co Donegal, became the first and second Irish runners to finish the marathon, around 11 minutes after the winner.

Paul 0’Callaghan, who finished as the third-placed Irishman, could barely contain his emotion afterwards.

The 40-year-old from Bermingham was part of the Irish Olympic team in 1988 but had not won a medal in the Irish championships for more than 15 years.

“I just ran my own race, I sat at the back and came through. I didn’t get the medal until the last 600m, so it was a great thrill to pass some of the runners and hear the crowd,” he said.

Valerie Vaughan from Blarney, Co Cork won the Irish women’s title with a time of 2:52.

Some shivering athletes were wrapped in foil blankets when they crossed the line. Others such as Conor Holt from Dundrum in Dublin collapsed after he became the fourth Irish athlete to finish the marathon. He was put in a wheelchair temporarily by medical staff from the St John’s Ambulance brigade.

Physiotherapists were on hand to provide massages for tired muscles and race staff dispensed energy drinks, medals and t-shirts in small, medium, large and extra large sizes.

The three time Irish Olympian Eamon Coughlan finished with a time of 3:23 and a fundraising total of €1m.

He managed to get 700 people for his sponsored run in aid of Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin and the Grace Nolan Foundation.

“Grace was a young girl who died from a rare blood disorder and had she been diagnosed she’d be alive to this day. The foundation want to establish screening centres around Ireland to have children tested and prevent them from dying in the future,” he said

Emmerdale Farm actor Antony Audenshaw, who plays barman Bob Hope, finished in under three hours despite having felt terrible in the morning.

“I’m so pleased I’ve done it. It beats everything, even acting,” he said.