The 2007 World Championships winner breasted the tape in 2hr 13min 1sec, shaving more than a minute off the course record held by compatriot Elijah Mbogo, who won last year's edition in 2:14:23.

It was an emotional triumph for the 25-year-old prison inspector, who was attacked during ethnic violence in his homeland last year and has struggled for form ever since.

'It has not been a good year for me, and winning in Singapore has made me happy again,' said Kibet, who failed to complete the race at this year's Beijing Olympics and has not won since his victory in Osaka.

In his hometown in Kenya's Rift Valley last December, he was knocked unconscious by rioters armed with stones and suffered concussion.

When he woke up, he found out that his mentor and former Olympian Lukas Sang had been killed during the violence.

In February, he had to fire a warning shot with a pistol to protect himself, after he was accosted by a group of armed men.

Said Kibet: 'It was a very sad time for me, but I do not like to think about all these things any more.

'I think only about the race and how to win it.'

Patience was the key for Kibet, who spent most of the race bunched up at the front with four other Kenyan runners, including two-time Singapore Marathon winner Amos Matui.

At the 27km mark, he made his move, powering ahead of the pack all the way to the finish line at the Padang.

His closest rival, Johnstone Chepkwony, finished more than two minutes behind in 2:15:12.

Matui (2:15:15) settled for third.

Kibet picked up US$35,000 (S$53,500) for his efforts, but the biggest present he has for his family is his swift return home.

'When I left for Singapore, my daughter said, 'Papa, don't go',' revealed Kibet, who is married with two young children.

'But I will go back home to see her, my son, and my wife. I will tell them that I won the race for them.'

Kenyans were also dominant in the women's competition, with last year's runner-up Edith Masai taking the title in 2:34:15. Russia's Silvia Skvortsova was second in 2:37:10, while another Kenyan, Rose Chesire (2:42:39), was third.

The top Singaporeans were Murugiah Rameshon, who took first place in the men's local category with a time of 2:49:37 and Vivian Tang (2:56:27) in the women's event, with pre-race favourite Anne Date second in 3:06:00.

Standard Chartered Bank, which has sponsored the event since its inception in 2002, nearly doubled its investment by spending $2 million to organise the run this year.

The event also boasted its largest-ever prize kitty, worth about $270,000.

Despite the gloomy economic outlook, the bank is keen to stay on board as the title sponsor next year, said Standard Chartered Bank Singapore chief executive Lim Cheng Teck.

'We will do the usual evaluation after this year's race and we are likely to continue supporting it,' said Lim.

'I'm very pleased to see the way that the event has grown over the years, and as long as it continues to meet our objectives, we are happy to work with the organisers again.'

tvoon@sph.com.sg