Did the World Athletics World Championship 2025 the biggest completion in the history of the marathon? It looks like that. After taking pictures at the female event, the male marathon on Monday 15th September saw one of the most dramatic goals of all time. Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simba grabbed gold in the first photo at the main championship marathon and won the German Amanal Petros in a dramatic race. With victory, Simba gave Tanzania his first world title.
She revealed a race of 42.195 km to edit the photo, decided only three hundredths of a second, when Simbu in Sunday’s Petros diver was steeply rising sharply in the Sunday diving final diving.
Both Simba and Petros were given the same time to complete two hours, nine minutes and 48 seconds, while the German led the silver, even though the runners led when the runners entered the Tokyo National Stadium. Italian Iliass Aouani claimed bronze at 2: 09.53.
“When we entered the stadium, I wasn’t sure I would win,” Simbu said. “I didn’t know if I won. But when I saw the screens and my name at the top of the results, I felt relieved.”
“Today I did a history – the first Tanzan gold medal at the World Championship.”
World Athletics Championship: 3.
The right hand of Simbu makes the difference
The different manufacturer was Simbu’s right hand that touched the rope while it rose up, while Petros Stides took his body first across the finish line. This meant that the German ended with a short beard, although he made the last effort to get after seeing Simbu passed him in the last 5 meters of the race.
The end was even closer than the 2001 World Championship in Edmonton, where Ethiopian Gezahegne Abera objected to Kenian Simon Biwott for a second.
South African African Josia Thugwane holds a record for the nearest Olympic male marathon, which won three seconds over South Korean Lee Bong-Ju at Atlanta Games 1996.
This was the first global title Simbu to add to his bronze medal at the 2017 World Cup in London and his finalist in Boston Marathon in April.
The victory of Simbu was a proud moment to run the Eastern African distance, and the morning by Frenchman Jimmy Gresier became the first man of birth outside the region for more than 40 years to win the title of 10,000 meters.
Soon the morning race had an unusual start for the marathon when Kenius Vincent Kipmoi Ngetich jumped a weapon and forced a restart – a moment more reminiscent of sprint events than endurance races.
Another surprise followed when two of the fastest runners, Ethiopian Tadeská Tamele and Deresa Gelet – gold and silver medalists in the Tokyo city marathon in March – dropped with less than 10 km remaining.
For most of the race, the front package included about two dozen runners, about 90 minutes. Gradually, the field was thinned in the morning heat, so Simbu, Petros and Aouani when they entered the stadium.
It seemed that Petros was born Eritrean, who was ready to bring the title back to Europe until Simbu found the final explosion of speed that would overtake him on the finish line.
“It’s 100 meters,” Petros said. “I came to the finish when I was thinking about victory, so I feel a little very sad.”
“But I have to accept it. As an athlete, you have to learn to train hard, continue and be grateful for silver.”
– ends
Published:
Kingshuk Kusari
Published on:
September 15, 2025
