Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir produced a sensational late surge to win the women’s marathon gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, ending a six-year wait for the country.
After 42km of relentless racing through the streets of Tokyo, Jepchirchir and Ethiopian Tigst Assefa entered the Japan National Stadium shoulder-to-shoulder in what turned into one of the most dramatic marathon finishes in recent memory. Assefa appeared to have the edge when she sprinted ahead on the back straight, but the Kenyan found another gear in the final 100 meters, producing a decisive kick that sealed victory in 2:24:43, two seconds ahead of her rival.
This triumph restored the marathon crown to Kenya, last won in 2019, and added to Jepchirchir’s already illustrious resume that includes the 2021 Olympic title in Tokyo. The victory was even more remarkable given she had not contested a single marathon all season before arriving in Japan, and her last outing had been a disappointing fifth-place finish in the Paris Olympics marathon the previous year.
Speaking after her win, Jepchirchir admitted that she had not been confident of victory until the final moments. She revealed that her “secret weapon” was a hidden reserve of energy that kicked in when she saw the finish line approaching. “When I was 100 metres away, I just started to sprint. I don’t know where that energy came from, but it carried me to the finish,” she explained.
For Assefa, the silver medal brought mixed emotions. Earlier this year, she had broken Jepchirchir’s women-only world record at the London Marathon with a time of 2:15:50, but in Tokyo she once again fell short in a sprint finish, just as she had at the Paris Olympics against Sifan Hassan. Despite this, the Ethiopian was satisfied to complete the race strongly given her challenging preparation.
Jepchirchir’s triumph not only highlighted her resilience and tactical brilliance but also served as a reminder of Kenya’s dominance in distance running. Her ability to summon an extraordinary finishing kick against one of the strongest marathoners in the world demonstrated the mental toughness and racing intelligence that define champions.
With this win, Jepchirchir has etched her name deeper into the history of marathon running, bringing immense pride to Kenya and setting the stage for what could be another golden chapter in her storied career.
