Tokyo World Championships: Photo Finish Awards Tanzanian Alphonce Felix Simbu the Marathon Title!

A marathon decided by a sprint. On the streets of Tokyo this public holiday, the men’s marathon world title was settled in a photo finish: Amanal Petros lunged for the line, but Tanzanian Alphonce Felix Simbu ultimately claimed victory by a hair (2:09:48). Italian Iliass Aouani completed a surprising podium in a race marked by the collapse of favorites and the absence of Ugandan stars Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo.

A Marathon Turned 100-Meter Dash. After an unusual false start, the marathon gold came down to a photo finish on Monday morning, during the third day of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. By just three hundredths of a second, German Amanal Petros thought he had snatched it, throwing himself across the finish line, but Simbu edged him by mere centimeters (both clocked 2:09:48). Remarkably, Alphonce Felix Simbu had nearly taken a wrong turn moments earlier upon entering the stadium—an error that would have cost Tanzania its first-ever world marathon gold. Italian Iliass Aouani (2:09:53) completed the podium in the National Stadium, delighting in the bronze.

“When I entered the stadium, I had no certainty about winning,” Simbu said after the iconic finish. “Even after crossing the line, it felt surreal! Seeing my name first on the giant screens gave me relief.” Petros, though frustrated by the tiny margin, reacted graciously: “It looked like a 100-meter dash, just like Sunday in the women’s marathon sprint finish. I’m very sad, but I have to accept the verdict. You lose today, you win tomorrow. That’s life and why we compete. Congratulations to Simbu!”

| A Fast-Paced Start

This Monday marked Keirō no hi, Japan’s national Day of Respect for the Elderly, a holiday celebrating patience and perseverance—values mirrored in this marathon. From the first kilometers, Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich set a blistering pace, reaching 5K in 15:22.

In his wake, favorites Victor Kiplangat, Stephen Kissa, Deresa Geleta, Tadese Takele, Abel Chelangat, and Kenyans Hillary Kipkoech and Kennedy Kimutai, alongside a fiery Petros, established the early tempo. Halfway through in 1:05:19, and 30K at 1:32:27, the pace approached record territory. But the marathon remains the ultimate test: after 35K, Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta (2:02:38 PB) faltered under the effort.

| Money Time: Fifteen Contenders for the Title

Approaching 38K, fifteen athletes still dreamed of the world title. Just before 39K, surprise: 2023 world champion Kiplangat faded. Spectators, trying to keep up for a few hundred meters, also quickly dropped off. Abel Chelangat led a small group of five, but entering the stadium, he too succumbed, leaving the stage for a dramatic finish. In the sprint, Rio and 2017 London Worlds bronze medalist Simbu found the energy to edge past Petros, while Italian Aouani completed the podium after a strong late surge.

🤯 El photo finish definió el ganador de la Maratón Masculina en el Mundial de Tokio.

🇹🇿 Alphonce Simbu le sacó el oro al 🇩🇪 Amanal Petros. pic.twitter.com/zCzRW8t1v8

— Federico Barreiro ⑫ (@BarrMore) September 15, 2025

| Europe Shows Up

Europeans also shone: three of the top seven finishers hailed from the continent (Petros, Aouani, Yohanes Chiappinell), proving that European runners could withstand the humid heat and intensity when some African favorites faltered. Israel’s Maru Teferi, second at Budapest 2023, stayed close at the halfway mark but eventually drifted from podium contention.

| The Big Absences: Cheptegei and Kiplimo

Notable by their absence, Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei and Jacob Kiplimo, both accustomed to major medals, withdrew for “personal reasons.” Cheptegei, world record holder for the 5,000 m and 10,000 m, triple 10,000 m world champion, and 2024 Olympic champion at that distance, will race the Amsterdam Marathon on October 19. Kiplimo, bronze medalist at the 2022 Worlds and Tokyo 10,000 m, will run the Chicago Marathon on October 12 after finishing second at London in the spring (2:03:37).

The Tokyo 2025 marathon confirms an eternal rule: times aren’t everything in championship racing. Geleta, the fastest entrant, collapsed. Favorites Kiplangat and Chelangat eventually fell back. Simbu, experienced and resilient, managed his effort perfectly to claim gold over 42.195 km. As often in championships, strategy, patience, and mental strength trump statistics. A Japanese holiday that Tokyo and Tanzania won’t soon forget.

Dorian VUILLET
Journalist