Tadese Takele and Sutume Asefa Kebede won the men’s and women’s races, respectively, at the Tokyo Marathon on March 2, 2025. Takele finished in 2:03:23, while Kebede retained her title with a time of 2:16:29. Ethiopia’s dominance was evident as they secured the top two spots in both genders’ categories amidst challenging weather conditions.
On March 2, 2025, Tadese Takele and Sutume Asefa Kebede emerged victorious in their respective categories at the Tokyo Marathon, marking the event as the first Major Marathon of the year. Takele, an Olympic steeplechase champion, completed the race in 2:03:23, while Kebede defended her title with a time of 2:16:29. Ethiopia achieved a notable one-two finish as Deresa Geleta followed in second place, clocking 2:03:51.
Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich secured a third-place finish for the second consecutive year with a time of 2:04:00. In the women’s category, Winfrida Moraa Moseti of Kenya and Ethiopian runner Hawi Feysa completed the podium in 2:16:56 and 2:17:00, respectively. Notably, Joshua Cheptegei, the two-time middle-distance Olympic champion, finished ninth in a personal best of 2:05:56, marking his second marathon.
As temperatures surpassed 20 degrees Celsius in Tokyo, defending champion Benson Kipruto placed sixth, finishing in 2:05:44. Former marathon record-holder Paula Radcliffe, making her marathon return after retiring in 2015, crossed the finish line in 2:57:26, over 40 minutes off her previous record. Radcliffe plans to compete again at the Boston Marathon in six weeks to qualify as a Six Star finisher.
Takele made his decisive move with three kilometers remaining, distancing himself from the leading group, which included Geleta and Ngetich. This marked only his third marathon race, having previously placed seventh in the Berlin Marathon. He expressed satisfaction with his performance: “I prepared well and I’m happy I raced a new personal best. I want to run faster and win the Olympics one day.”
Cheptegei initially aimed for a time of 2:04 but acknowledged that the race conditions affected his pace. He commented, “I can probably say that now, I’ve at least run almost three minutes off my PB and this is really incredible for me.” While he fell short of his goal, he remains optimistic about his performance and views it as significant progress for his future endeavors.
In summary, the 2025 Tokyo Marathon was dominated by Ethiopian athletes, with Tadese Takele and Sutume Asefa Kebede claiming the men’s and women’s titles, respectively. Takele’s impressive performance, alongside Kebede’s successful title defense, showcased Ethiopia’s prowess in long-distance running. The race also highlighted significant achievements from other competitors, including personal bests and notable returns to marathon running. The event set a compelling tone for the season of World Marathon Majors.
Original Source: www.olympics.com
