China's Bai Xue, 20, became the youngest winner of the women's world marathon title at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.
Bai pulled away from Japan's Yoshimi Ozaki to win in a modest time of two hours, 25 minutes and 15 seconds and become China's first female marathon world champion.
Aselefech Mergia of Ethiopia held on for bronze.
"It's only my second international marathon, so I'm so happy," said Bai, who ran her first marathon aged just 14.
"I didn't feel any pressure and I was very relaxed because I knew I had trained and prepared very well. When I came here I never thought that I had a chance of winning the gold medal."
But she admitted the absence of Radcliffe and Mikitenko took the shine off her performance.
"I was very lucky because a lot of the top runners were not here," she added.
"I still have a lot of hard work and training to do if I want to compete with them."
Ozaki had no response to Bai's turn of speed but hung on to take silver ahead of Ethiopia's Aselefech Mergia, who collapsed after crossing the finish line. China also won the team prize, ahead of the Japan and Russia.
"I was hoping for the top eight, so I'm pleased to win silver," said Ozaki. "But next time I want gold, it's good to have something to fulfill."
The runners started off cautiously, with the temperature around 25 degrees celsius on a sunny morning in Berlin, before Rwandan Epiphanie Nyirabarame took the lead early on.
With world record holder Paula Radcliffe pulling out days before the start, and Germany's London marathon winner Irina Mikitenko withdrawing following the death of her father, the race was wide open.
The pack, including the three medallists, quickly left the Rwandan behind as the runners meandered through the boulevards of Berlin and just after the halfway mark the fight was on.
Russian Nailya Yulamanova decided to break away at the 30km mark, leading a group of four runners, but her lead was short-lived as she fell back, visibly suffering from the increased pace.
Ozaki and Bai then dropped Mergia with three kilometres to go before the Chinese proved too strong at the final stretch.
Women's marathon results:
1. Bai Xue (China) 2hrs 25mins 15secs
2. Yoshimi Ozaki (Japan) 2:25:25
3. Aselefech Mergia (Ethiopia) 2:25:32
4. Zhou Chunxiu (China) 2:25:39
5. Zhu Xiaolin (China) 2:26:08
6. Marisa Barros (Portugal) 2:26:50
7. Yuri Kano (Japan) 2:26:57
8. Nailya Yulamanova (Russia) 2:27:08
9. Alevtina Biktimirova (Russia) 2:27:39
10. Kara Goucher (US) 2:27:48
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