XIAMEN -- Kenya's Robert Kipkorir Kipchumba won the 9th Xiamen Marathon in windy conditions with a new course record here on Sunday while Amane Gobena Gemeda led Ethiopia to a 1-2 finish in the women's race.

The 26-year-old Kipchumba, who made his marathon debut at the 2009 Rotterdam Marathon, clocked two hours, eight minutes and seven seconds for his first career title, breaking the course record of 2:08:47, set in 2009 by Ethiopian Feyisa Lilesa. The Kenyan finished eighth in Rotterdam in 2:09:54.

"It was a fast race," said the Kipchumba. "I did not expect to break the course record, but in the end, I sped up and ran very fast."

The win earned Kipchumba 40,000 U.S. dollars of prize money plus 10,000 dollars for a course record.

Ethiopia's Mesfin Hailu Lemma finished second in 2:09:50 and his compatriot Alemayehu Shumye was third in 2:09:58.

Ethiopians dominated the women's race, with five finishing the top eight. Gemeda won her fourth career international marathon champion as she cruised to victory in 2:31:49.

Gemeda, 28, who won her first marathon at the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2009, continued her good luck in East Asia, adding the Xiamen champion to the Osaka Marathon and Seoul International Marathon titles.

Her compatriot Alemitu Abera was second in 2:31:54 and China's Wang Jiali finished third in 2:32:00.

The Xiamen Marathon, which was launched in 2003, has been awarded "the IAAF Golden Label Race" for the fourth consecutive years. No more than 30 marathon races could be awarded 'the Golden Label Race' by the world track and field govening body.

Kenya's Paul Kiprop Kirui and Moroccan Rachid Kisri, a returnee, both have personal times under 2:06:50, failed to live up to expectations. Kiprop finished seventh in 2:12:19 and Kisri did not reach top eight.

Kenya and Ethiopia split the top eight places, with Ethiopians took five and Kenyans three.

China's Wang Jiali, who won last October's Beijing Marathon with 2:29:31, blamed her "poor form" after the race.

"I am not in a good condition today," she said. "So to win a third place is too bad."

Chinese women had won the first seven editions of the Xiamen Marathon before Atsede Baysa of Ethiopia broke their dominance last year.

Some 65,000 runners started the race at the Chinese coastal city for the 5km, 10km races, half marathon, and marathon.