Kenyan clocks seventh fastest women’s time in history, while Tadese Takele wins three-way sprint finish in men’s race in 2:03:37.
Brigid Kosgei showed a fine return to form to win the Tokyo Marathon women’s race on Sunday (March 1) in 2:14:29. The 32-year-old won her first marathon major for four years and came close to her best time of 2:14:04, which was a world record when she set it in Chicago seven years ago.
The men’s race, meanwhile, saw a thrilling finish with Tadese Takele of Ethiopia clocking 2:03:37 to hold off Geofry Toroitich Kipchumba – the Kenyan given the same time as Takele – with another Kenyan, Alexander Mutiso Munyao, just a further second back in fourth.
For Kosgei it was the seventh fastest women’s time in history and the second quickest performance of her life to regain a Tokyo title she claimed in 2021. She also improved the course record and Japanese all-comers’ record of 2:15:55 set by two-time winner Sutume Asefa Kebede in 2024.
Kebede was prominent for much of the race here but faded to fourth in the latter stages as Bertukan Welde came through for second place in 2:16:36 and Hawi Feysa pipped Kebede for third, both runners clocking 2:17:39.
Takele became only the second man to win back-to-back Tokyo titles. He saw off a fine field, too, which included Muktar Edris, the two-time world 5000m champion from Ethiopia who was fifth in 2:04:07.
Iliass Aouani ran an Italian record of 2:04:26 in sixth.
Another top Ethiopian, Selemon Barega, the Tokyo Olympics 10,000m gold medallist, was seventh in 2:05:00.
Men
1 Tadese TKosgei (KEN) 2:14:29; 2 Bertukan Welde (ETH) 2:16:36; 3 Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:17:39; 4 Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH) 2:17:39; 5 Megertu 2:03:44; 5 Muktar Edris (ETH) 2:04:07
Women
1 Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:29; 2 Bertukan Welde (ETH) 2:16:36; 3 Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:17:39; 4 Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH) 2:17:39; 5 Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:18:50