Norway's Sondre Nordstad Moen shattered the European record in the marathon with his 2:05:48 win at the Fukuoka Marathon in Japan on Sunday.

The European record stood at 2:06:10 since last year via Kaan Kigen Ozbilen of Turkey. Moen is the first European champion of the race since 2005 and the first non-African-born athlete in history to break 2:06 in the marathon.

The 26-year-old entered the race with a personal best of 2:10:07, set earlier this year at the Hannover Marathon. He told the IAAF that he was expecting a 2:07 or 2:06 after setting the Norwegian half marathon record at 59:48 in Valencia in October.

His time is the second-fastest ever recorded on the course, 30 seconds off Tsegaye Kebede's course record.

Moen passed halfway in 63:19, on pace to break his best by more than three minutes. 

Stephen Kiprotich of Uganda, the 2012 Olympic marathon champion, was second in 2:07:10 and Suguru Osako of Japan, who trains in the United States with the Nike Oregon Project, was third in 2:07:19. The marathon was Osako's second ever after running 2:10:28 for third place in Boston this year.

“I ran 2:05 today,” Moen said to the IAAF, “but I am not sure if people back in Norway realize how good a 2:05 marathon is.”

Previously, the quickest time achieved by a non-African male on a record-eligible course was 2:06:05 by Ronaldo da Costa in 1998 — then a world record. Ryan Hall ran 2:04:58 at the Boston Marathon in 2011, but the course was deemed ineligible for record-keeping.

Watch the race below: