Which runner first broke 2 hours 4 minutes in an officially recognized marathon?

Haile Gebrselassie first broke 2 hours 4 minutes in an officially recognized marathon.

The Ethiopian runner recorded 2:03:59 at the 2008 Berlin Marathon, becoming the first athlete to finish an officially recognized marathon faster than 2:04. He improved his own world record, which he had set in Berlin the previous year at 2:04:26.

Gebrselassie’s 2008 performance was achieved on a fast, flat course and demonstrated the rapid progression of elite marathon running. His record stood until 2011, when Kenya’s Patrick Makau ran 2:03:38 in Berlin.

This milestone is distinct from the later barrier of 2:03. Gebrselassie did not become the first man under 2:03; that achievement went to Wilson Kipsang in 2013. Eliud Kipchoge later became the first official world-record holder under 2:02.