It was a sight to behold: two women, after running nearly 42km, entered the Japan National Stadium together locked in a straight head-to-head tussle for the title of marathon world champion.
In the end, it was Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir who triumphed Sunday (14 September) by out-kicking world record holder Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia down the finish straight, finishing in 2:24:43 — two seconds ahead of the Ethiopian — to add another major title in Japan.
After all, four years ago, Jepchirchir was also crowned in Japan. Then, she won the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic marathon in Sapporo, where the race had been moved to from Tokyo over heat concerns.
Those same heat concerns were present this year, even with Sunday’s 2025 World Athletics Championships marathon having been brought forward to start half an hour earlier than planned, at 7:30am. Humid conditions with an air temperature of around 28°C (82°F) greeted the athletes.
Both Jepchirchir and Assefa, whose 2:15:50 at the London Marathon in April stands as the world lead and women’s only world record, did not hit the front of the race until there were around 15 kilometres left.
Instead, the pack were happy to let USA’s Susanna Sullivan and Jessica McClain open a small lead, which Sullivan held onto for most of the first 27km or so.
But once the favourites took control, there was only going to be one outcome — that they would pull away and battle amongst themselves.
Assefa tried to make the first move around 200m out, moving to the front, but Jepchirchir found a late second wind to pull clear.
“I am so happy with what I have done in Tokyo. It was so hot, so difficult. But I managed it. It was not easy. When I entered the stadium, I got a lot of energy from the fans,” Jepchirchir said afterwards.
“I really did not expect to win. It was not my ultimate plan to sprint in the final metres, but when I saw I was 100m from the finish, I just started to kick. I found some hidden energy there.
“I was so exhausted coming to the stadium, stepping on the track. So exhausted. But I sprinted for it. Despite running a lot marathons in my career, I am so grateful for this one because I was not expecting the victory.”
Assefa added: “When I took the lead with Jepchirchir I guessed that it would be all about a sprint in the last 100m. It was the same at Paris Olympics when I also finished second and lost to Sifan [Hassan]. But I don’t like to think I lost gold. I always try to be positive and think that I won the silver.”
Behind them, the race for third had a surprising outcome. The Mexico-born, Great Britain-raised, U.S. college-educated Julia Paternain won Uruguay’s first ever World Championships medal in 2:27:23.
Paternain, who represented Great Britain until January, narrowly missed her personal best and national record by just 14 seconds. Early leader Sullivan finished fourth.