BEIJING, China (AFP) –Unheralded Eritrean teenager Ghirmay Ghebreslassie claimed the first gold of the Beijing Worlds when he sprinted away for a comfortable victory in the men’s marathon on Friday night, Jamaica time.

The 19-year-old took the lead from Lesotho’s Tsepo Ramonene Mathibelle on the 36km mark and saw off pressure from Ethiopian Yemane Tsegay for a memorable win at Beijing’s iconic Bird’s Nest stadium.

Ghebreslassie, racing just his third marathon, clocked 2hr 12min 27sec, with Tsegay, fourth in 2009 and eighth in Moscow two years ago, taking silver in 2:13.07 and Munyo Solomon Mutai of Uganda claiming bronze (2:13.29).

It was Eritrea’s second ever world medal after Tadesse Zersenay’s silver in the 10,000m in the 2009 Worlds in Berlin.

Mongolia’s Ser-Od Bat-Ochir had his moment of world fame when he took the lead for a few early kilometres, quickly swept up by the chasing pack, Bahrain’s Ethiopian-born Shumi Dechasa setting much of the early pace.

The runners swept through the 10km mark in 31:51, and a surge through the following 5km saw the pack string out with Dechasa up front, Uganda’s defending champion Stephen Kiprotich just 5sec off the pace in the chasing pack.

A definitive break predictably saw the Ethiopian trio of Lelisa Desisa, Tsegay and Berhanu Lemi, Ugandans Kiprotich, Mutai and Jackson Kiprop, and Kenyan trio Dennis Kimetto — the world record holder, Wilson Kipsang and Mark Korir all eyeing each other up.

Eritrean duo Ghebreslassie and Amanuel Mesel were also in the mix as Italian team captain Daniele Meucci shot out to the front on the picturesque course around the streets of Beijing in clear, hot conditions with temperatures around 27 degrees Celsius (81F).

Meucci, the 2014 European marathon champion, went through 20km in 1:03.23, teammate Rugero Pertile taking up the running.

The Italian duo struck out on their own, but were sucked in on the 25km mark, Lesotho’s Mathibelle sprinting away after 90 minutes of running and building up a 25-sec lead.

Ghebreslassie set out after Mathibelle, overtaking the flagging Lesothan on the 36km mark.

Tsegay was on his heels, with Mutai in third, the Eritrean nervously looking at his watch and over his shoulder as he tried to pace himself through the final few kilometres under an increasingly hot sun.