Peres Jepchirchir produced a sensational finish to claim gold in the women’s marathon at the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 on Sunday (14).
After 42km of endurance on the streets of Tokyo, the race came down to a breathtaking homestretch battle inside the Japan National Stadium. Jepchirchir and Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa entered the track side by side, setting the stage for a dramatic showdown.
Assefa struck first, powering into the lead on the back straight, but Jepchirchir dug deep and unleashed a trademark finishing kick in the final 100m. With the crowd on its feet, she surged past her rival to win in 2:24:43.
The victory adds to Jepchirchir’s glittering resume, which already includes the Tokyo 2021 Olympic marathon gold and two world half marathon titles.
“I really did not expect to win,” Jepchirchir said. “But when I saw I was 100 metres from the finish, I just started to kick. I found some hidden energy.”
Her triumph extends Kenya’s dominance in women’s marathon running and cements Jepchirchir’s status as one of the greatest championship performers of her generation.