Organisers have however revealed that a different runner would have probably won the race had the leading trio not been misled into taking a wrong turn just a few kilometres before the finish line.Clocking in at 2 hours, nine minutes and 16 seconds, Mutai missed the marathon's record by slightly over a minute, but it was later revealed that the time would have also not sufficed for victory had things gone down normally.

Gabriel Ambrožič, one of the organisers, explained that only two or three kilometres before the end of the race, a police vehicle driving in front of the leading trio had taken a turn one junction before envisaged. It was followed by the vehicle of an official TV crew as well as by the runners.

"The car with the time board came only later and the rest of the field followed that car. The leading group thus lost all the advantage, the chance for a much better time and for victory that brings EUR 20,000," Ambrožič explained about a group of Kenyan runners who were seen in tears.

He added that at kilometre 38, the leading runners, whom Mutai was trailing by quite a bit, were on track to a final time of around 2:07:30, which would have meant a total of EUR 8,000 in bonuses for a new record and a time faster than 2:08:00. Ambrožič explained the trio will "get some financial compensation".

Mutai was nonetheless joined on the podium by two more Kenyans, with Philip Sango Kimutaie in second place three seconds behind the winner and Levi Omar Matebo in third an additional 22 seconds behind.

Among the women, Changwony, who managed the 42 kilometres in 2:29:31, was followed by Ethiopian runners Shasho Insermu (2:30:53) and Beshadu Bekele Bedane (2:31:05).

The best Slovenian athletes at the 21st Ljubljana Marathon were Aleš Žontar in 11th place in the men's race and veteran runner Helena Javornik, who was seventh in the women's competition.

The Ljubljana Marathon, which had a budget of EUR 1.6m this year, has grown immensely popular since starting with a modest 670 runners in 1996.

More than 23,700 runners from 59 countries tested their stamina this year, of which 8,500 participated in Saturday's children's race and 15,200 in today's 10 km, half-marathon, and full marathon runs.