Tadese Takele won the Tokyo Marathon in 2:03:23, marking his first major victory. Joshua Cheptegei, Uganda’s Olympic champion, finished ninth with a personal time of 2:05:59. In women’s results, defending champion Sutume Asefa Kebede retained her title. The event saw significant performances despite challenging weather conditions.
Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele secured victory at the Tokyo Marathon, clocking a time of 2 hours, 3 minutes, and 23 seconds. He surged ahead of the competition with approximately 4 kilometers remaining, marking his inaugural major marathon title and eclipsing his previous personal best by one second. Deresa Geleta from Ethiopia finished second with a time of 2:03:51, while Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich took third at 2:04:00.
In the women’s division, defending champion Sutume Asefa Kebede of Ethiopia retained her title, finishing in 2:16:31. She was followed by Kenya’s Winfridah Moraa Moseti at 2:16:56, and Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa, who took third place at 2:17:00. Conditions remained favorable, with Takele commenting, “The weather wasn’t a problem, it wasn’t too hot and for me it was comfortable.”
Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, placed ninth in the marathon with a time of 2:05:59, running his second marathon after debuting in Valencia two years ago. Cheptegei expressed gratitude for being able to compete in Tokyo and reflected on the experience despite facing challenging conditions. He noted that the warm weather, peaking at 20°C (68°F), impacted his performance.
Benson Kipruto from Kenya, last year’s Tokyo champion and a bronze medallist from the Paris Olympics marathon, finished sixth with a time of 2:05:46. Meanwhile, former women’s world record-holder Paula Radcliffe returned to marathon running at age 51, completing the race in 2:57:26 and planning to participate in the Boston Marathon soon.
In summary, Tadese Takele triumphed in the Tokyo Marathon, achieving a personal best time. Defending champions excelled in the women’s category as well. Joshua Cheptegei had a commendable performance despite the heat, while notable personalities like Paula Radcliffe also made an impressive comeback to marathon racing.
Original Source: www.malaymail.com
