In Tokyo, Kenyan Benson Kipruto emerged victorious in the men’s Tokyo Marathon, setting a new course record of two hours, two minutes, and 16 seconds on Sunday. This time surpassed the previous record set by former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge. The race took place under ideal racing conditions on the streets of the Japanese capital.
The women’s race was won by Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede, clocking in at 2:15:55, ahead of Kenya’s defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru. Kebede’s time also broke the previous women’s record for the course, which stretches from Shinjuku to the Imperial Palace.
During the race, Kipruto pulled away from Timothy Kiplagat in the final kilometers, crossing the finish line 39 seconds ahead of his compatriot. This victory added to Kipruto’s previous wins in the Boston Marathon in 2021 and the Chicago Marathon in 2022.
With his impressive time, the 32-year-old Kipruto achieved a personal best almost two minutes faster than his previous record, earning him the title of the fifth-fastest marathon runner in World Athletics-approved events.
Kiplagat faced a challenging decision during the race as he considered withdrawing following the tragic death of his training partner, marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, in a road accident the previous month. With the support of his coach, Kiplagat continued and finished second in the race.
Third place went to Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, completing the podium sweep for Kenya. Ethiopians Hailemaryam Kiros and Tsegaye Getachew followed in fourth and fifth positions, respectively.
Despite setting a course record in a previous year, Kipchoge struggled during this marathon, falling behind the leaders by two minutes at the 30-kilometer mark and ultimately finishing tenth.
In the women’s race, Kebede and Wanjiru vied for the lead throughout the competition. Kebede managed to pull ahead in the final stretch, claiming her first major marathon title with a 19-second lead over Wanjiru.
Kebede’s winning time not only broke the women’s course record previously held by Brigid Kosgei but also significantly improved her personal best by over two minutes. Amane Beriso of Ethiopia came in third place, with Dutch athlete Sifan Hassan taking fourth.
Among the Japanese runners, Ichitaka Yamashita was the top performer in the men’s race with a time of 2:06:31, finishing ninth overall. Hitomi Niiya represented Japan well in the women’s race, securing a sixth-place finish in 2:21:50.
(Writing by Nick Mulvenney in Sydney; Editing by William Mallard)
