Kenyan Jepchirchir Wins Women's Marathon Gold Tokyo World Championships

At the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir won the women's marathon gold in a dramatic sprint finish against Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, finishing in 2:24:43. Jepchirchir, the 2021 Tokyo Olympic champion, overcame intense heat and humidity to secure her first world championship title, narrowly beating Assefa by two seconds, who took silver. Uruguay's Julia Paternain made history by claiming bronze, marking her nation's first-ever world championship medal in athletics. Jepchirchir's victory marked Kenya's second gold at the championships and made her the fourth Kenyan woman to win the marathon world title. Despite the challenging weather conditions, Jepchirchir found a surprising burst of energy in the final meters to clinch the win. Other notable events included the progression of contenders in women's hurdles and hammer throw, while former Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen was eliminated early in the men's 1500m heats.