World Champs Women’s Marathon — Tokyo Again Favors Jepchirchir

Peres Jepchirchir at last managed to settle an all-in contest with Tigst Assefa just over 100 meters from the finish. (KEVIN MORRIS)

ONCE AGAIN Peres Jepchirchir proved to be the queen of the close finish. The ’21 Olympic champ sprinted past Tigst Assefa in the final 100 meters to claim her first World Championships marathon win in 2:24:43.

The 31-year-old Kenyan prevailed in another epic battle with her Ethiopian rival, admitting afterwards, “I was so exhausted coming to the stadium, stepping on the track I really did not expect to win.”

As in last year’s Paris Olympics race, the 28-year-old Assefa came up on the short end of a sprint finish after carrying the pace over most of the second half. “Yes, it was the same as when I finished 2nd to Sifan [Hassan],” Assefa agreed. “I don’t like to think I lost gold, I always try to be positive and think that I won the silver.”

Uruguay’s Julia Paternain ran to a most unexpected bronze medal finishing 3rd in 2:27:23. Americans Susanna Sullivan (4th in 2:28:17) and Jessica McClain (8th in 2:29:20) featured prominently in the race with Sullivan well out in front through 27K.

The race between Jepchirchir and Assefa commenced in earnest far before the finishing straight as the duo matched strides over the whole second half of the race. Before they could joust with each other, they first had to run down the front-running Sullivan.

Crossing halfway in 73:59, 61 seconds behind Sullivan, it was game on for Jepchirchir and Assefa. They took off from there, trimming the lead to 36 seconds at 25K. Less than 3K later, the duo blew past Sullivan with Magdalyne Masai, Stella Chesang and Suteme Asefa in desperate pursuit.

As Assefa kept up the pace pressure, the duo were soon on their own. They split 16:27 between 25 and 30K, then 16:28 to reach 35K in 2:00:03. Both appeared thoroughly spent by their efforts as they began the 7K uphill climb to the stadium.

The closing stretch became a sweat-drenched slog with both runners in survival mode running side-by-side all the way to the stadium entrance. Jepchirchir jumped in front of Assefa on the turn and held a stride advantage down the ramp and onto the track with 350 to go.

With Jepchirchir working vigorously to extract any speed from her weary legs, Assefa shifted into a smooth track stride and cruised past her rival on the backstretch. She seized the pole with a 200 to go.

There was no quit in Jepchirchir who summoned one last effort at the top of the turn and exploded with glee down the finishing straight and sprinted to a 7-meter triumph.

While most other times were immaterial by the finish, Jepchirchir’s 31-second final 200 was the decider. “When I saw the finish, I just started to kick and I found some hidden energy,” she said.

WOMEN’S MARATHON RESULTS

(September 14)

1. Peres Jepchirchir (Ken) 2:24:43

(17:11, 17:20 [34:31], 17:29 [52:00], 18:10 [70:10], 16:57 [1:27:07], 16:28 [1:43:35], 16:28 [2:00:03], 17:25 [2:17:28], 7:15)

(1:13:59/1:10:44);

2. Tigst Assefa (Eth) 2:24:45

(1:14:00/1:10:45);

3. Julia Paternain (Uru) 2:27:23

(1:14:00/1:13:23);

4. Susanna Sullivan (US) 2:28:17

(1:12:58/1:15:19);

5. Alisa Vainio (Fin) 2:28:32

(1:13:59/1:14:33);

6. Shitaye Eshete (Bhr) 2:28:41

(1:14:00/1:14:41);

7. Kana Kobayashi (Jpn) 2:28:50

(1:13:28/1:15:22);

8. Jessica McClain (US) 2:29:20 (1:13:25/1:15:55);

9. Fionnuala McCormack (Ire) 2:30:16; 10. Dolshi Tesfu (Eri) 2:30:41; 11. Laura Luengo (Spa) 2:30:55; 12. Stella Chesang (Uga) 2:31:13; 13. Sayaka Sato (Jpn) 2:31:15; 14. Ciren Cuomu (Chn) 2:31:38; 15. Nora Szabó (Hun) 2:31:41; 16. Eunice Chumba (Bhr) 2:32:22; 17. Anne Luijten (Neth) 2:32:27; 18. Jackline Cherono (Ken) 2:33:17; 19. Solange Jesus (Por) 2:33:24; 20. Rebecca Lonedo (Ita) 2:33:40; 21. Sheila Eulogio (Per) 2:33:42; 22. Zhixuan Li (Chn) 2:34:03; 23. Maor Tiyouri (Isr) 2:34:28; 24. Fatima Ouhaddou (Spa) 2:35:05; 25. Khishigsaikhan Galdabrakh (Mgl) 2:35:05;

26. Susana Santos (Por) 2:35:06; 27. Sutume Asefa (Eth) 2:35:30; 28. Yuka Ando (Jpn) 2:35:37; 29. Kyung-Sun Choi (SK) 2:35:42; 30. Deshun Zhang (Chn) 2:35:58; 31. Natasha Wodak (Can) 2:36:02; 32. Manon Trapp (Fra) 2:36:09; 33. Julia Mayer (Aut) 2:36:20; 34. Alina Armas (Nam) 2:36:33; 35. Silvia Patricia Ortiz (Ecu) 2:37:22; 36. Atalena Napule (SSD) 2:38:18; 37. Ye-Jin Lim (SK) 2:38:31; 38. Vanessa Wilson (Aus) 2:39:17; 39. Aleksandra Brzezińska (Pol) 2:39:46; 40. Marcella Herzog (Neth) 2:39:57; 41. Neheng Khatala (Les) 2:41:16; 42. Sarah Klein (Aus) 2:41:46; 43. Sara Schou Kristensen (Den) 2:42:34; 44. Nina Usubyan (Arm) 2:42:37; 45. Munkhzaya Bayartsogt (Mgl) 2:42:43; 46. Mary Zenaida Granja (Ecu) 2:43:02; 47. Isabel Guadalupe Oropeza Vazquez (Mex) 2:43:53; 48. Tara Palm (Aus) 2:44:51; 49. Mercyline Chelangat (Uga) 2:45:36; 50. Chiara Mainetti (Arg) 2:46:27;

51. Aydee Loayza (Per) 2:48:00; 52. Erika Kemp (US) 2:50:35 (1:15:58/1:34:37); 53. Fortunate Chidzivo (Zim) 2:51:24; 54. Rahma Tahiri (Mor) 2:51:30; 55. Diana Bogantes (CR) 2:54:02; 56. Hanne Maridal (Nor) 2:55:04; 57. Karen Ehrenreich (Den) 2:57:07; 58. Clementine Mukandanga (Rwa) 2:58:00; 59. Nicole Urra (Chl) 2:58:05; 60. Magaly Garcia (Ven) 2:58:51; 61. Anja Fink (Slo) 2:59:31; 62. Andrijana Pop Arsova (Mac) 3:01:48; 63. Margarita Hernández (Mex) 3:02:26;

… dnf—Juliet Chekwel (Uga), Kaoutar Farkoussi (Mor), Fatima Ezzahra Gardadi (Mor), Tigist Gashaw (Bhr), Tigist Ketema (Eth), Magdalyne Masai (Ken), Izabela Paszkiewicz (Pol), Zaida Dina Ramos (Per), Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (Isr), Moira Stewartová (CzR).

(leader 5Ks: Sullivan 17:10, 34:21, 51:34, 69:07, 1:26:31; Assefa 1:43:35, 2:00:03, 2:27:27)

When “Professor Marathon” isn’t crafting topographical maps and pace charts for 26-milers around the world, the now Emeritus geographer at Wisconsin–Eau Claire, serves as the Chair of the Lower Chippewa River conservation organization and hits the airwaves Thursday afternoons as a DJ on a community radio program called “All Things 6 String.” (Hint: Sean’s the one in the photo who never set a World Record ?)

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