Uganda's Victor Kiplangat wins men's world marathon title, Kenyans flop
Uganda's gold medallist Victor Kiplangat celebrates with his medal after the men's marathon final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on August 27, 2023.
What you need to know:
- The Commonwealth champion clocked a winning time of 2hr 08min 53sec on the streets of the Hungarian capital after breaking free in the last 15 kilometres.
- Israel's Ethiopian-born Teru Meferi followed up on his European silver last year with second place in 2:09.12, while Ethiopian Leul Gebresilase took bronze (2:09.19).
Commonwealth Games champion Victor Kiplangat from Uganda is now the new world marathon champion.
The Ugandan took the decisive break with 12 kilometres to go dragging along the Ethiopian Leul Gebresilase and defending champion Tamirat Tola.
Ethiopia's Leul Gebresilase, Ethiopia's Tamirat Tola, and other athletes compete in the men's marathon final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on August 27, 2023.
Then the 23-year-old Ugandan would shake off Gebresilase with 5km to go, cruising past 40km mark in 2:01:52 for victory in two hours, 08 minutes and 53 seconds on the final day of the championships in Budapest, Hungary.
Maru Teferi recovered from a fall to edge out Ethiopian Leul Gebresilase a few metres to the finish line to claim silver in 2:09:12.
Gebresilase settled for bronze in 2:09:19 as Ethiopia relinquished the title with Kiplangat giving Uganda its second world marathon title after Stephen Kiprotich's victory in 2013 Moscow.
The title eluded Kenya once again at the world championships when Titus Kipruto finished eighth in 2:10:47 while Timothy Kiplagat settling 14th in 2:11:25.
Kenya's has not won the title since Geoffrey Kirui in 2017 London with the feat coming after Abel Kirui completed a double in 2009 Berlin and 2011 Daegu.
Kenya, for the second time, emerged without a medal from the men's marathon.
Tola couldn't keep up with the pace with 10km left, dropping out of the race.
Kiplangat and Gebresilase powered away, hitting the 33km mark in 1:41:08 and 35km in 1:46:53.
Tola fell off the pace as Teferi overtook him to move to bronze position before he went on to subdue Gebresilase.
Kenyans Joshua Belet and Rotterdam Marathon champion Timothy Kiplagat took the pack through 15km and 20km in 46.09 and 1:01:36 at 2:10 tempo.
Kenya's Timothy Kiplagat, Ethiopia's Leul Gebresilase, and other athletes compete in the men's marathon final during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest on August 27, 2023.
John Hakizimana took the huge pack of 20 men at halfway mark in 1:05:02 as compared to last year where they did in 1:02.
Kenya's trio of Belet, Kiplagat and Kipruto were right in the pack that had four Ethiopians including defending champion Tola.
Italian Yohanes Chiappinelli decided to break, dragging the pack at 25km mark in 1:17:05 as Belet was dropped.
The pack of 21 started to increase the tempo going through 29km in 1:29:20 with Timothy Kiplagat powering down in front.
Uganda’s Kiplangat took the lead through 30km in 1:32:14 but Tola hit the front for the first time as the lead group reduced to 10 athletes.
Uganda's Stephen Kissa then clipped Kenya's Kiplagat to fall down before picking himself up.
It didn't take long before Kiplangat attacked to drag along the Ethiopian pair of Tola and Gebresilase, hitting 33km in 1:41:08.
