Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu produced one of the most dramatic finishes in marathon history to clinch gold at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Monday.
In a heart-stopping sprint to the line, the 33-year-old edged Germany’s Amanal Petros by just three-hundredths of a second after 26.2 miles of grueling racing. Both men were officially timed at 2:09:48 in the closest men’s marathon ever witnessed at a world championship.
Men’s Marathon Final – Top 10 Results
- Alphonce Felix Simbu (TAN) – 2:09:48
- Amanal Petros (GER) – 2:09:48
- Iliass Aouani (ITA) – 2:09:53
- Haimro Alame (ISR) – 2:10:04
- Abel Chelangat (UGA) – 2:10:11
- Gashau Ayale (ISR) – 2:10:19
- Oqbe Kibrom Ruesom (ERI) – 2:10:27
- Hillary Kipkoech (KEN) – 2:10:38
- Richard Ringer (GER) – 2:11:00
- Victor Kiplangat (UGA) – 2:11:33
After nearly three hours of relentless running under Tokyo’s hot and humid morning conditions, Petros led the race onto the track inside the stadium, seemingly set for victory. But Simbu, who was runner-up at this year’s Boston Marathon, clawed back the gap with a blistering final surge. In the last desperate metres, he dipped across the line ahead of the German, who collapsed to the ground in exhaustion. Italy’s Iliass Aouani secured bronze with 2:09:53.
The men’s race featured 88 athletes from 47 countries, but the demanding conditions proved punishing. Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele, the fastest entrant with a 2:03:23 Tokyo Marathon victory earlier this year, dropped out at 33km. His compatriot Deresa Geleta, another podium hopeful, also failed to finish, leaving Uganda’s Abel Chelangat to force the decisive break at 39.5km that whittled the lead pack to five runners.
Defending champion Victor Kiplangat of Uganda faded to 11th in 2:11:33. Despite missing out on a podium finish, the race showcased the depth of talent in East Africa and Europe. For Simbu, however, this was a career-defining triumph.
A consistent championship performer with a bronze medal at the 2017 World Championships, fifth at the Rio 2016 Olympics, and seventh at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, Simbu finally claimed his long-awaited world title. He adds this gold to his earlier global bronze and silver finishes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games and 2024 Boston Marathon.
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