Kenya’s Winfridah Moraa Moseti has dedicated her impressive second-place finish at the Tokyo Marathon to her husband and coach, Joshua Ongori.
On Sunday, Moseti, who trains in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County, clocked a personal best of two hours, sixteen minutes, and fifty-six seconds in a highly competitive women’s race dominated by Ethiopian runners.
The event was won by Ethiopia’s Sutuma Asefe Kebede in 2:16:31, while Hawi Feysa, also from Ethiopia, placed third in 2:17:00.
“When the pacemakers dropped because they were pacing up to 30km, I decided to run my race,” said Moraa. “I had one lady who was running alongside me until the 41km mark, but I decided to make the final push, edged her out, and secured second place,” said the mother of six-year old daughter, Melisha Maria.
Moseti, 29, credited her strong support system—including her husband, training partners, physiotherapists, and coaches Peter Bii and Thomas Potzinger of Mezzo Athletics Management—for her breakthrough performance.
“I’m so excited to have emerged second in my first major marathon. Special thanks go to my husband, who gave me full support and guidance during my preparations because if I was doing it alone, I couldn’t have made it,” she told Nation Sport from Tokyo.
Despite her strong finish, Moseti admitted feeling intimidated at the starting line, given the experienced elite field.
“While we were lining up, I was scared looking at my fellow elite runners because their personal best times were higher than mine,” she said. “I asked myself, ‘Will I really make it to the podium?’ I decided to run my race, and it worked out well for me.”
Kenya's Vincent Kipkemoi finishes in third place in the men's category of the Tokyo Marathon in Tokyo on March 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Photo | Reuters
Moseti’s marathon journey began in Kisii before she moved her training to the high-altitude region of Iten in 2021, a shift she says has been crucial to her performance.
Now ranked as Kenya’s sixth-fastest female marathoner of all time, she hopes to represent Kenya at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September.
“If given a chance to represent my country, I will be glad because it’s a global event and prestigious to compete at that level,” she said.
Moseti has now competed in seven marathons, finishing ninth in Milan, fourth in Rome, fifth in Paris, second in Frankfurt, and third in both Hamburg and Amsterdam.
In the men’s category, Kenya’s Vincent Ngetich finished third in 2:04:00. Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele won the race in 2:03:23, followed by compatriot Deresa Geleta in 2:03:51.
“It was a tough race, and I’m so happy to have made it to the podium once again. I want to thank my coach and all the support system that has been behind me,” said Ngetich, who trains in Kaptagat, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
Tokyo Marathon is the first Abbott Marathon Majors in the calendar with the next races coming in April -- Boston Marathon (April 13) and London Marathon (April 27).
In the past, Athletics Kenya has used the Tokyo, Boston, and London Marathons, along with world rankings, to select the marathon team representing Kenya at the Olympic Games or World Championships, given the country’s large pool of elite marathon runners.
