Tokyo Marathon 2024: Benson Kipruto wins men's race in record 2:02:16 as Eliud Kipchoge fades to 10th
Kipruto leads a Kenyan 1-2-3 as double Olympic champion Kipchoge finishes in 2:06:50, saying 'Not every day is Christmas Day.' Ethiopia's Sutume Asefa Kebede won the women's race, also in a record of 2:15:55.
Benson Kipruto stole the show from two-time defending Olympic champion Eliud Kipchoge in the men's race at the Tokyo Marathon 2024 to win in a course record of 2 hours, 2 minutes, 16 seconds on Sunday (3 March).
Kipchoge - who was the previous record-holder in the event of 2:02:40 - finished 10th in 2:06:50. It was the fourth slowest marathon time of the 39-year-old’s career.
“That’s how it is,” Kipchoge said. “Not every day is Christmas Day.”
Kipruto led a podium sweep for Kenya with Timothy Kiplagat second (2:02:55) and Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich third (2:04:18), in the first major race since the tragic death of their compatriot and world record holder Kelvin Kiptum.
The women’s race was also settled in course record time as Sutume Asefa Kebede of Ethiopia took the tape in 2:15:55. Double Olympic track champion Siffan Hassan placed fourth (2:18:55) in the third marathon of her career.
Eliud Kipchoge: 'Something happened'
Under clear blue skies in a mild temperature of 12 C, the men’s event took off from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in the Japanese capital and quickly unfolded at a world record pace aroud the streets of the city.
Things took an unexpected turn before the 20km mark when Kipchoge, who last raced here two years ago, dropped from the leading pack.
The halfway split was 1:00:20, but Kipchoge was already struggling. Through 25km, the Kenyan legend fell more than a minute off the pace as his prospects began looking bleak.
The frying pace continued until the 30km point. Kenyan runners Kipruto, Kiplagat, and Ngetich broke away shortly there afterwards, turning it into a three-man race.
Kipruto then made his move at 38km, leaving Kiplagat in his wake before going on to finish 39 seconds ahead of his compatriot for the third World Major Marathon of his career after Boston in 2021 and Chicago in 2022.
“I don’t know what happened to (Kipchoge) and I haven’t met him up until now,” Kipruto said of Kipchoge's surprising collapse. “I’m so happy for the course record today. It was fast enough for a record and I’m happy about today.”
Kipchoge ended up behind even Nishiyama Yusuke, the top Japanese finisher in ninth at 2:06:31. He did not elaborate on what happened during the 42.195km journey nor about his prospects at Paris 2024, where an unprecedented Olympic three-peat is on the line.
“I was fit enough but something happened in the middle of the race,” Kipchoge said. “I think it’s early to say now (about Paris). I can go back, relax and start training.”