Tokyo: Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele successfully defended his Tokyo Marathon title on Sunday, edging Kenya’s Geoffrey Toroitich in a sprint finish to cross the line in 2hr 3min 37sec.
Takele finished with the same official time as Toroitich after a dramatic battle for the line, with Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso just one second further behind in third place. Kenya’s Brigid Kosgei won the women’s race in 2:14:29, more than two minutes ahead of Ethiopia’s Berukan Welde in second.
Ethiopia’s Sutume Asefa Kebede, the 2024 Tokyo Marathon champion, was third. Kosgei, the Tokyo Marathon champion and Olympic silver medallist in 2021, has said she will compete for Turkey at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
