False start, sprint tied finish – tokyo stuns!

Hot of the press from the 2025 World Athletics Championships, well-known athlete, journalist and coach Norrie Williamson shares the unique action of this moning’s marathon.

Alphonse Simbu provided Tanzania with its first championship gold in an unbelievable marathon finish that combined with an almost unique false start to kick off the third day of the 2025 world Athletic championships in Tokyo.

Kenya’s Vincent Ngetich was determined to lead the field out to such an extent that he clearly pushed off the line before the gun. 

A marathon false start is rare and when it happens is often ignored given the context of time over the distance, but not at world championship level and thanks to a surprised commentator the field were recalled before completing the initial 80metres. 

Ngetich got his wish on the second calling however and led the large bunch of 40 plus athletes over many of the early kilometres. 

Elroy Gelant initially running on the side of the bunch was clear of the jostle that comes from a comfortable paced event enforce by the 82% humidity and 27 degree temperatures. 

This grouping remained largely together for the first 30km where things began to separate not so much by pace,  but resulting from the conditions that would see 33% of the field fail to finish. 

Elroy was still amongst the group of 30 led by Zimbabwean Isaac Mpofu when the holes began to appear at 25k, but had dropped six places and 46 seconds over the next 5 kilometers 

The lead group commenced a gradual increase in pace from the expected 2:10 target to 2:09 pace after 35km with only six remaining in contention with 2km remaining. 

Unexpectedly all three Ethiopians had withdrawn with surprisingly only Simbu and Ugandan Abel Chelangat representing Africa. 

Italian Ilious Aouani seemed to miss the turn as Amanal Petros led Simbu through the tunnel onto the track. 

The German, who has a best of 2:04:58, looked set to have four metres in hand with 50 metres to go but a kick from the Tanzanian saw a tied time of 2:09:48 with the photo finish separating the championship title in favour of Simbu. 

It was an exceptional marathon finish that reminisced the 2005 New York Marathon sprint tussle between Hendrick Ramaala and Kenyan Paul Tergat. 

 Gelant,  who ran the SA national record of 2:05:36 in in April in Hamburg, lost three places over the final run in but gamely held on to complete the course in 2:16:32 in 33rd position. 

The combination of the false start and sprint finish will ensure this championship goes down in history. 

These championships are proving to create the unusual as was experienced on Sunday night where a 10,000m race, slowed again by the hot humid 30 degree conditions saw the tightest of race finishes.

After 24 grueling laps it came down to a sprint finish that built over the final 300m that saw the gold taken by Frenchman jimmy Gressier, ahead of Yomif Kejelcha (28:55.83) with Sweden’s Andreas Almgren in bronze (28:56.02). 

The podium was split by only 0.25 seconds from Gressier’s 28:55.77 victory with wildschutt’s 28:59.47 making 10th.