Winners of the World Marathon Majors In the Men’s Event in 2022

The year 2022 saw the men’s world record being shattered in the Berlin Marathon, also a part of the elite six World Marathon Majors.

Eluid Kipchoge is the world record holder in men's marathon (Credits- Olympics.com)
By Abhiruchi Rout | Nov 8, 2022 | 6 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

The World Marathon Majors (WMM) is an elite series that consists of six of the world’s largest and most prestigious marathons, which, along with those run at the sport’s global championships, constitute an annual series to select the world’s finest male and female marathon runners and wheelchair racers. It is also known as the Abbott World Marathon Majors due to sponsorship reasons. Athletes earn points for finishing in each race, with the top three male and female marathon runners and wheelchair athletes collecting prize money at the end of each cycle. The series features races in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York on an annual basis. 

Beginning in 2006, the series transitioned to a one-year structure in 2015. The male and female competitors who accumulate the most points from the qualifying races over the course of the scoring period are declared the winners of each series. Points from a maximum of two Qualifying Races will be counted throughout each scoring period. To be eligible for the award, an athlete must start in at least two qualifying Races throughout the cycle. The athlete’s top two finishes are counted when they receive points in more than two events.

The year 2022 saw the men’s world record being shattered in the Berlin Marathon, also a part of the elite six World Marathon Majors. It was claimed by Eliud Kipchoge with a timing of 2:01:09 seconds who significantly shaved thirty seconds off his previous world record. Let’s take a look at the athletes who took top honors in the men’s races at the six World Marathon Majors (WMM) in the year 2022.

Race – Tokyo Marathon, Winner – Eliud Kipchoge

Regarded as the greatest marathon runner of all-time, Eliud Kipchoge claimed his first-ever Tokyo Marathon title by winning the race, clocking 2:02:40 on March 06, 2022 in Tokyo, Japan. Before this, he had won the London Marathon four times, Berlin on three occasions, Chicago Marathon (one), but had never won the race in Tokyo. 

Kipchoge returned to the country where he won Olympic gold seven months ago with a top performance that was his fourth-best behind his personal world record of 2:01:39 (during that period) achieved in the Berlin Marathon in 2018. Kipchoge and Kipruto ran side by side for 35 kilometers at 1:41:30 before Kipchoge made his move. He was leading by a stride at 36 kilometers and over the following km, the advantage grew to about five seconds. But he held on to win by 33 seconds, running the fastest marathon ever raced in Japan by more than a minute.

Four of the top five marathon times belong to Kipchoge. At the age of eighteen, he set a championship record in the senior 5000 m at the 2003 World Championships. In 2012, he transitioned to road running and ran the second-fastest half marathon debut in history, clocking 59:25. His first victory in a World Marathon Major occurred at the 2014 Chicago Marathon. Kipchoge is only two races away from becoming the only athlete to win every World Marathon Majors race since he has yet to win in Chicago or New York.

Race – Boston Marathon, Winner – Evans Chebet

Evans Chebet of Kenya claimed his first marathon major championship at the Boston Marathon 2022 on April 18, 2022, with a timing of 2:06:51. Before the Berlin Marathon, Chebet’s finest performances came at prestigious marathons like Valencia, Prague, and Seoul. His performances at the major marathons included third place in Berlin in 2016, fourth position in Tokyo (2017), and London (2021). The last time he participated in Boston was in 2018, when he was one of the elite competitors but withdrew due to the dreadful weather conditions.

The event featured a large group that ran all the way to 35 kilometers. Chebet, the world number one in 2020, had achieved top four finishes in the previous 12 marathons he had run, but his only did not finish had come in Boston in 2018. He then bounced back in grand style. Chebet covered the 5km split from 35 km to 40 km in 13:55, with a 4:27 in the 22nd mile followed by two miles each timed at 4:26, thus outpacing his competitors. He was unaffected and defeated Boston winner 2019 Cherono by precisely 0.5 minutes as he reached the finish line in 2:06:51.

Race – Berlin Marathon, Winner – Eliud Kipchoge

With a record time of 2:01:09, Kipchoge smashed his own world record to win the Berlin marathon on September 25, 2022. It was the second time the Kenyan runner had accomplished this feat at the race in the German capital. On the same course in 2018, he had recorded his personal best which was 2:01:39. At 35 km, he was approximately 36 seconds quicker than his 2018 winning time, but slowed slightly. He crossed the finish line in Berlin with an official time of 2 hours, 1 minute, and 9 seconds and hugged coach Patrick Sang as the world celebrated another victory of the legendary marathoner. It was his second major win of the year after claiming the Tokyo title in March.

Race – London Marathon, Winner – Amos Kipruto

On October 2, 2022, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics silver medalist Amos Kipruto ran a magnificent individual race in the final 4 km to win at 2:04:39 and take his first marathon major championship in London. There was a neck-and-neck between the frontrunners before Kenyan Kipruto chose his opportunity for a decisive surge to leave his rivals behind and finish 33 seconds ahead of Ethiopian Leul Gebresilase. Due to a hip injury, home favorite Mo Farah withdrew from the race and Kipchoge opted not to compete after breaking his marathon record in Berlin the previous week.

Besides this, Kipruto has the World Athletics Championships 2019 bronze medal under his belt. Kipruto won two medals in the World Marathon Majors in 2018, finishing third in Tokyo with a time of 2:06:33 and second in Berlin with a time of 2:06:23. With a lifetime best time of 2:03:13, he finished second to Eliud Kipchoge who ran 2:02:40 to win the silver at the Tokyo Marathon 2021 in March 2022.

Race – Chicago Marathon, Winner – Benson Kipruto

Benson Kipruto gained the lead by himself in the 25th mile and maintained it to clinch the Chicago Marathon 2022 in 2:04:24 on October 9, 2022. The winner of the Boston Marathon 2021, Kipruto ran his personal best, which also made it the quickest winning time in Chicago since 2014. This was also the third fastest timing run at the Chicago Marathon 2022. Only Eliud Kipchoge and former world record holder Dennis Kimetto had quicker times in the competition. The 31-year-old had previously won the Toronto Marathon in 2018 with a timing of 2:05:13 and the Prague Marathon 2021 in 2:10:16 seconds. 

Race – New York Marathon, Winner – Evans Chebet

Evans Chebet emerged victorious in the last Marathon Major of the 2022 by winning the New York Marathon on November 06, 2022. South American record holder, Daniel Do Nascimento, took the lead early on and pulled away from the pack. He completed the first 30 kilometers in 1:29:09, just over a minute ahead of Chebet, who had separated from the other runners. Do Nascimento’s lead was just 40 seconds after 20 miles. Soon after, he stopped sprinting and collapsed to the ground while still plainly suffering. Chebet got past as medics assisted Do Nascimento and completed the race in 2:08:41 after holding onto the lead. This was his WMM victory of the year after claiming the Boston Marathon in April.

The Domination of Kenya in Marathon

The Kenyan men marathoners have been exceptional this year, having swept all six World Marathon Majors (WMM) titles in 2022. Both Eliud Kipchoge and Evans Chebet won two major titles, while Amos Kipruto and his training partner Benson Kipruto earned one each. Kenya has time and again produced some of the greatest marathoners and the athletes belonging to the country will continue to rise and shine in the marathon, half-marathon, and long-distance road race competitions across the world.