Kipruto wins Tokyo Marathon in record-breaking race

Kenyan Benson Kipruto won the men’s Tokyo Marathon in 2hr 2min 16sec on Sunday, breaking former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge’s course mark in perfect racing conditions on the streets of the Japanese capital.

Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede won the women’s race ahead of Kenya’s defending champion, Rosemary Wanjiru, in 2:15:55, also bettering the best previous women’s time over the course from Shinjuku to the Imperial Palace.

Kipruto pulled clear of Timothy Kiplagat over the last few kilometres and finished 39sec ahead of his compatriot to add the Tokyo title to those he won in Boston in 2021 and Chicago in 2022.

The 32-year-old’s time was almost 2min better than his previous personal best and made him the fifth-fastest marathon runner of all time in events approved by World Athletics.

Kiplagat had to be convinced not to pull out of the race by his coach after the death of his training partner, marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, in a road accident in February.

Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich finished third in 2:04:18 to give Kenya a podium sweep, with Ethiopians Hailemaryam Kiros and Tsegaye Getachew in fourth and fifth places.

Kipchoge was struggling at halfway with the pace under the course record time of 2:02:40 he had set in 2022, and the double Olympic champion had slipped 2min behind the leaders by the 30km mark. He finished 10th.

Kebede and Wanjiru had been in the leading group throughout the women’s race, and it was only in the latter stages that the Ethiopian was able to pull clear of her rival to claim her first major marathon title by 19sec.

Her time bettered Brigid Kosgei’s 2022 women’s course record of 2:16:02 and took more than 2min off her previous personal best time of 2:18:12.

Reuters