Rosemary Wanjiru's victory at the Tokyo Marathon marked a significant milestone in her career, as she set a new personal best time
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Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru claimed the Tokyo Marathon 2023 women’s race in a personal best time of 2:16:28. With this, she moved to the world no. 6 in the list of women’s marathon. Ethiopia’s Tsehay Gemechu clinched the second position with a time of 2:16:56. Wanjiru raced with the leading pack of runners throughout the race, and only broke away from Gemechu after the 30 km mark. The men’s race was clinched by Ethiopia’s Deso Gelmisa, who led an Ethiopian top three with a time of 2:05:22. Mohamed Esa and Tsegaye Getachew finished second and third respectively, both with the same time as Gelmisa. A group of six runners broke away from the leading pack at around the 37 km mark, with Gelmisa, Esa, and Getachew emerging as the strongest in a sprint finish.
Wanjiru’s victory at the Tokyo Marathon marked a significant milestone in her career, as she set a new personal best time and became the seventh-fastest woman in marathon history. She was also one of only eight women to have run the marathon in under 2:17. Wanjiru was elated with her win and the achievement, having come second in her debut marathon in Berlin last year with a time of 2:18:00. Gemechu’s second-place finish was also noteworthy, as she ran a sub-2:17 marathon and became the eighth woman in history to achieve this feat. Ashete Bekere and Worknesh Edesa finished third and fourth respectively, both from Ethiopia. Betsy Saina, a former 10,000m Olympic finalist, ran a personal best time of 2:21:40 in her debut marathon as a US citizen and mother.
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The men’s race was highly competitive, with a large pack of runners sticking together for the majority of the race. It wasn’t until around the 37 km mark that a group of six runners broke away from the pack, including Gelmisa, Esa, and Getachew. In the end, it was Gelmisa who had the strongest finish, narrowly beating Esa and Getachew in a thrilling sprint to the finish line.
The Tokyo Marathon is a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, which attracts elite runners from around the world. The race is known for its fast course and competitive field, and is considered one of the top marathons in the world. This year’s race saw some exceptional performances from both the men’s and women’s fields, with several runners setting new personal best times and achieving new milestones in their careers.
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