World Champs Men’s Marathon — A Photo Finish?!

With an inspired sprint to surprise Germany’s Amanal Petros at the line, Alphonce Felix Simbu captured Tanzania’s first-ever WC gold. (TAKASHI ITO/AGENCE SHOT)

IN A CHAMPIONSHIPS full of sprint finishes, leave it to the marathoners to rely on the phototimer to separate gold from silver. Gold went to Tanzanian Alphonce Felix Simbu, who launched a furious sprint to catch and pass German Amanal Petros just 3 meters from the finish. Both were timed in 2:09:48.

Heading into the final straight, Petros sped away from Simbu and was 5 meters clear with 50 meters left when Simbu countered with a most improbable come from behind victory dash. The photo delineated a win by 0.03. Yes, 0.02 closer than the men’s 100 result.

“When we entered the stadium, I was not sure if I would win,” Simbu said. “I had many tough moments during the race, but I told myself that I would never give up.”

Italian Iliass Aouani claimed the bronze medal crossing in 2:09:53, just ahead of Israel’s Haimro Alame (4th in 2:10:03) and Ugandan Abel Chelangat (5th in 2:10:11). Clayton Young led the U.S. squad finishing 9th in 2:10:43 after running in the lead pack through 39K.

This race’s stirring finish came after a slow race of attrition as high heat and humidity suppressed any inclination for ambitious pacing.

Of the 53 runners in the lead pack at 10K (30:48), 39 managed to stick with the 65:19 opening half pace. Run at a modest pace, sans serious surges, it was more so a race of passive attrition that left 23 runners — including most of the Ethiopians, Kenyans and Ugandans — in contention at 30K.

At 35K, the lead group was down to 15 with Kennedy Kimutai the lone Kenyan and race favorite Deresa Geleta the last remaining Ethiopian — that is until he pulled up a minute later.

Aouani and Chelangat made the first real attack charging up a steep hill 2500 meters out from the finish that quickly pared the lead group to 5. Young was among those left behind.

Aouani, who ran three seasons of cross country for Syracuse 2016–’18, took control on the run-in. He dropped Chelangat and Alame just outside the stadium but was left behind himself as the trio hit the track.

Petros lifted into a strong stride and led down the backstretch with Simbu doing well to stay close. Petros sprinted again. “I was so sure I was winning,” he said, then in dismay added, “He kicked like crazy and surprised me.”

The 33-year-old Simbu’s breakout race was a 5th-place finish in the 2016 Rio Olympic marathon. Two years later he reached a World Championships podium finishing 3rd in London before a strong 7th in the ’21 Olympic race in Sapporo.

After finishing 17th in Paris, Simbu followed with a 2:04:38 PR and 4th-place showing in Valencia last December. In April at Boston, he bested Cybrian Kotut and Conner Mantz in the race for 2nd behind John Korir.

MEN’S MARATHON RESULTS

(September 15)

1. Alphonce Felix Simbu (Tan) 2:09:48

(15:23, 15:26 [30:49], 15:40 [46:29], 15:28 [61:57], 15:17 [1:17:14], 15:16 [1:32:30], 15:18 [1:47:48], 15:45 [2:03:33], 6:15) (65:21/64:27);

2. Amanal Petros (Ger) 2:09:48

(65:20/64:28);

3. Iliass Aouani (Ita) 2:09:53

(65:20/64:33);

4. Haimro Alame (Isr) 2:10:03

(65:20/64:43);

5. Abel Chelangat (Uga) 2:10:11

(65:19/64:52);

6. Yohanes Chiappinelli (Ita) 2:10:15

(65:21/64:54);

7. Gashau Ayale (Isr) 2:10:27

(65:19/65:08);

8. Samsom Amare (Eri) 2:10:34

(65:19/65:15);

9. Clayton Young (US) 2:10:43

(65:20/65:23);

10. Isaac Mpofu (Zim) 2:10:46; 11. Ryuta Kondo (Jpn) 2:10:53; 12. Cam Levins (Can) 2:11:07; 13. Richard Ringer (Ger) 2:11:14; 14. Suldan Hassan (Swe) 2:11:18; 15. Victor Kiplangat (Uga) 2:11:33; 16. Kennedy Kimutai (Ken) 2:11:45; 17. Koen Naert (Bel) 2:12:52; 18. Abderrazak Charik (Alg) 2:13:06; 19. Kaan Kigen Özbilen (Tur) 2:13:27; 20. Mohamed Reda El Aaraby (Mor) 2:13:29; 21. Yaseen Abdalla (Sud) 2:13:32; 22. Vincent Ngetich (Ken) 2:13:38; 23. Naoki Koyama (Jpn) 2:13:42; 24. Peter Lynch (Ire) 2:14:12; 25. Ebba Tulu Chala (Swe) 2:14:40; 26. Jie He (Chn) 2:14:52; 27. Oqbe Kibrom (Eri) 2:15:01; 28. Reed Fischer (US) 2:15:17 (67:01/68:16); 29. Jacob Sommer Simonsen (Den) 2:15:31; 30. Shaohui Yang (Chn) 2:15:35;

31. Xiangdong Wu (Chn) 2:16:01; 32. Cristhian Zamora (Uru) 2:16:09; 33. Elroy Gelant (SA) 2:16:32; 34. Yuya Yoshida (Jpn) 2:16:58; 35. Justin Kent (Can) 2:17:12; 36. Ben Preisner (Can) 2:17:32; 37. Shokhrukh Davlyatov (Uzb) 2:18:04; 38. Johnatas De Oliveira (Bra) 2:18:22; 39. Emmanuel Kiruhura (ART (Rwa) 2:19:11 PR; 40. CJ Albertson (US) 2:19:25 (66:00/73:25); 41. Omar Hassan (ART (Eth)) 2:19:47; 42. Rui Pinto (Por) 2:19:50; 43. Tom Hendrikse (Neth) 2:19:57; 44. Tim Vincent (Aus) 2:20:12; 45. Paulo Roberto Paula (Bra) 2:20:18; 46. Abdelom Kesete (Eri) 2:20:46; 47. Mohammed Benyettou (Alg) 2:20:51; 48. Marcelo Laguera (Mex) 2:20:56; 49. Sondre Moen (Nor) 2:21:22; 50. Mateusz Kaczor (Pol) 2:21:51; 51. Tiidrek Nurme (Est) 2:21:58; 52. Aaron Gruen (Aut) 2:22:07;

53. Josephat Joshua (Tan) 2:22:47; 54. Hugo Catrileo (Chl) 2:23:29; 55. İlham Tanui Özbilen (Tur) 2:23:35; 56. Ferdinand Cereceda (Per) 2:23:46; 57. Liam Boudin (Aus) 2:24:39; 58. Dario Ivanovski (Mac) 2:26:31; 59. Samuel Freire (CPV) 2:27:26; 60. Segundo Jami (Ecu) 2:28:07; 61. Tendai Zimuto (Zim) 2:28:10; 62. Nicolás Cuestas (Uru) 2:28:37; 63. Éderson Pereira (Bra) 2:28:40; 64. Leonid Latsepov (Est) 2:29:59; 65. Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Mgl) 2:30:09; 66. Maxim Răileanu (Mol) 2:32:15;

… dnf—Solomon Mutai (Uga), Tesfaye Deriba (Eth), Soufiyan Bouqantar (Mor), Maru Teferi (Isr), René Champi (Per), Stephen Kissa (Uga), Daniel Paulus (Nam), Zerei Mezngi (Nor), Juan Pacheco (Mex), Félicien Muhitira (Rwa), Tonosa Hiko (Ire), Sezgin Ataç (Tur), Emile Cairess (GB), Yemaneberhan Crippa (Ita), Abdi Waiss Mouhyadin (Dji), Hillary Kipkoech (Ken), Ibrahim Hassan Bouh (Dji), Othmane El Goumri (Mor), Min-ho Park (SK), Yves Nimubona (Rwa), Byambajav Tseveenravdan (Mgl), Therence Bizoza (Bur), Deresa Geleta (Eth), Tadese Takele (Eth).

(leader 5Ks: Ngetich 15:22; Ringer 30:48; Kiplangat 46:26; Hassan 61:54; Mpofu 1:17:11; Geleta 1:32:27; Kiplangat 1:47:47; Aouani 2:03:33)

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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