Tanzania makes history as Alphonce Simbu wins men’s marathon gold at 2025 Tokyo World Championships
He unleashed a powerful sprint in the final 10 metres to edge Germany’s Amanal Petros, who also finished in 2:09.48, but had to settle for silver.
Tanzania made history on Monday morning as athlete Alphonce Simbu surged past his rivals in a dramatic photo finish to claim the men’s marathon title at the 2025 World Athletics Championships.
Simbu, 33, clocked 2:09.48, delivering his nation’s first-ever gold medal at the championships in Tokyo.
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Simbu, competing in his fifth World Athletics Championships, executed a strategic race in punishing heat, with 24 athletes, including all three Ethiopians, Kenya’s Hillary Kipkoech, and Ugandans Stephen Kisa and Solomon Mutai, falling off the pace.
“I made history today, the first Tanzanian gold medal at a world championships. I remember in 2017, at the world championships in London, I won bronze. Then I ran many times but never got any medals, so finally it is here. When I arrived here, I told myself I was not going to give up. I just stayed with the group; it helped me, and it ended really well. Just look at the finish and the kick,” Simbu said after crossing the line.
He unleashed a powerful sprint in the final 10 metres to edge Germany’s Amanal Petros, who also finished in 2:09.48, but had to settle for silver.
Petros reflected on the narrow defeat, saying, “It’s like the 100 metres. Coming into the finish, I was thinking about winning, so a bit of me is feeling very sad. But I have to accept it. As an athlete, you have to learn, train hard, keep going and be thankful for the silver.”
Italy’s Iliass Aouani claimed bronze with a time of 2:09.53.
Up until the 30th kilometre, a large lead pack, including Simbu, Petros, Aouani, Uganda’s Abel Chelangat, the USA’s Clayton Young and Great Britain’s Emile Cairess, ran closely together, separated by just a second. As the marathon progressed in temperatures reaching 27 degrees Celsius, the group thinned, leaving only the strongest to challenge for medals. Home favourite Kondo Ryota finished 11th after falling back near the 39th kilometre.
Defending champion Victor Kiplangat of Uganda, who appeared poised to retain his title, faded in the 40th kilometre to finish 15th in a season-best 2:11:33. Kenya’s Kennedy Kimutai came 16th in 2:11:45, while compatriot Vincent Kipkemoi finished 22nd.
Simbu’s victory is a landmark achievement for Tanzania, adding to his previous accolades, including a bronze at the 2017 World Championships in London, second place at the 2025 Boston Marathon, and a runner-up finish at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.
The men’s marathon ended in a dramatic sprint inside Japan National Stadium, with the winning margin recorded at just three hundredths of a second, the closest in world championship history.
In other events on Monday morning, Olympic and world champion Ethan Katzberg threw 81.85m in men’s hammer qualifying, surpassing his previous world gold-winning mark.
Defending 400m hurdles champion Femke Bol advanced to the semifinals alongside Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell and former world champion Dalilah Muhammad. Steeplechase heats were led by defending champion Winfred Yavi, Faith Cherotich, and Peruth Chemutai.
In pole vault, Katie Moon, Marie-Julie Bonnin and Sandi Morris qualified for the final, while Molly Caudery and Wilma Murto did not start.
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