Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir claimed gold in the women’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 on Sunday (14), outsprinting Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa in a thrilling homestretch battle.

After 42km on the streets of Tokyo, Jepchirchir and Assefa entered the Japan National Stadium shoulder-to-shoulder, setting up a dramatic showdown for the title. Assefa surged into the lead on the back straight of the track, but Jepchirchir responded with yet another kick in the final 100m, ultimately pipping Assefa. Clocking two seconds ahead of her in 2:24:43, the Kenyan adds her next title after the Olympic gold she won at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

“I really did not expect to win,” said Jepchirchir, who had not contested a marathon all season prior to Tokyo. “But when I saw I was 100 metres from the finish, I just started to kick. I found some hidden energy.”

Assefa, who broke Jepchirchir’s women-only world record in London earlier this year with 2:15:50, experienced deja-vu of sorts, having been beaten to Olympic gold in Paris last year after a sprint finish against eventual winner Sifan Hassan.

“I don’t like to think I lost gold,” said Assefa. “I had some difficulties in my preparation for Tokyo, taking a long rest after breaking the world record at the London Marathon this year, so I’m just happy I finished the race with the silver medal.”

In one of the biggest surprises of the championships so far, Uruguay’s Julia Paternain stormed to bronze in in 2:27:23, becoming her nation’s first ever world medallist.

“I cannot believe it, I’m in shock,” said the 25-year-old, who had only ever run one marathon before. “I was not paying attention to my time out there. I was just trying to race.”

The race began with an early break from the USA’s Susanna Sullivan, who led for much of the first half before being reeled in by the eventual medallists. Sullivan held on strongly for fourth in 2:28:17.

Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema was among the non-finishers, while Japan’s Kana Kobayashi – winner of the Osaka Marathon in January – was cheered to a seventh-place finish by an appreciative home crowd.

Annika Saunus for World Athletics
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