Kenyan athlete Benson Kipruto secured victory in the men's Tokyo Marathon on Sunday, completing the race in an impressive two hours, two minutes, and 16 seconds. This achievement included breaking the course record set by former world record holder Eliud Kipchoge, all transpiring under ideal racing conditions on the streets of Tokyo.

Ethiopia's Sutume Asefa Kebede secured victory in the women's race, crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 15 minutes, and 55 seconds. Her impressive performance surpassed the previous best women's time for the course from Shinjuku to the Imperial Palace. Notably, she outpaced the defending champion, Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya.

In a captivating display of endurance and skill, Benson Kipruto exhibited his prowess in the Tokyo Marathon by surging ahead of Timothy Kiplagat in the closing kilometers. The triumphant Kenyan runner not only secured the Tokyo title but also expanded his impressive list of victories, which includes previous successes in Boston in 2021 and Chicago in 2022. Kipruto's strategic and resilient performance underscored his status as a formidable force in the world of marathon running.

Clocking in at a remarkable time, the 32-year-old surpassed his own personal record by nearly two minutes, establishing himself as the fifth-fastest marathon runner in events sanctioned by World Athletics.

“I am so happy to get the course record,” Kipruto told reporters.

“I think I’m ready for the Paris Olympics, I would be happy to represent my country in Paris but that relies on my country for selection. I’m still waiting on that, but I’m ready.”

Despite the recent tragic loss of his training partner, marathon world record holder Kelvin Kiptum, in a road accident last month, Kiplagat seriously contemplated withdrawing from the race until his coach persuaded him otherwise.

Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich secured the third position with a time of 2:04:18, completing a podium sweep for Kenya. Following closely were Ethiopians Hailemaryam Kiros and Tsegaye Getachew, finishing in fourth and fifth places, respectively.

“I’m truly happy,” the 29-year-old said. “It was a very tactical race. Everything went well and the result was better than I expected.I ran a good time in a major race and I hope the Ethiopian Athletics Federation will select me for the Paris Olympics. I would like to win (gold) and break the Olympic record.”

Amane Beriso, hailing from the same country as Kebede, secured the third position with a time of 2:16:58, maintaining a lead of more than a minute over Dutch Olympic long-distance track champion Sifan Hassan, who finished in fourth place.

Ichitaka Yamashita claimed the title of the fastest Japanese man, securing the ninth position with a time of 2:06:31. Meanwhile, Hitomi Niiya achieved the top spot among the Japanese women, finishing in sixth place with a time of 2:21:50.

Eliud Kipchoge, acclaimed as the greatest marathon runner in history, faced a setback in his Paris Olympics preparations, finishing 10th in the Tokyo Marathon. Kipchoge encountered difficulties midway through the race, struggling to sustain the pace needed to surpass his own course record of 2:02:40 set in 2022. The double Olympic champion fell behind by two minutes by the 30km mark, ultimately securing the 10th position.

Following the race, Eliud Kipchoge, aged 39 and a double Olympic marathon champion (Rio and Tokyo), acknowledged that it is "too early to say" in what condition he will be for the Paris Games. He candidly remarked, "That's how it is – not every day is Christmas Day."

However, shortly thereafter, Kipchoge started to lag behind and couldn't regain his momentum. In the aftermath, he asserted that “something happened in the middle of the race,” without elaborating. “I will go back, relax and start training,” he added.

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