Jepchirchir hunts down Assefa to deliver Kenya's second gold
Sports
By
Stephen Rutto
| Sep 15, 2025
Kenya was a proud nation yesterday as the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, entered Day 2.
Just hours after Beatrice Chebet opened the medal account with gold on Saturday evening, former Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir continued the hunt, achieving a historic victory yesterday morning in her debut.
An epic battle pitting Jepchirchir, a former women-only record holder and Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa, the second fastest in the marathon, but it was difficult to predict who among the two would edge out the other for the prestigious world title.
The race was decided in the closing stages by a blazing sprint on the tracks of Japan National Stadium, the world marathon's final stretch.
Assefa was leading when the duo entered the iconic stadium but Jepchirchir, who was breathing down her neck, pulled a major surprise.
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She surged forward with a killer speed that saw her bring home the second gold medal for Kenya in 2:24:43 (season best) with the Ethiopian star, an Olympic silver medallist, settling for silver in 2:24:25. Julia Paternain (2:27:23) of Uruguay bagged the bronze.
Jepchirchir’s gold placed Kenya in the lead in the medal tally, and the country was still the only African nation with a world title in the opening days of the global showpiece.
The marathon queen was just returning from an ankle sprain as she prepared for the 2025 London marathon in April, an injury that she says almost crushed her hopes of competing this year.
Two months after resuming training, Jepchirchir had to choose between running the Berlin Marathon on September 21 and the Tokyo World Championships and she picked the assignment to fly Kenyan colours.
“This was my first marathon this year and I want to go back home and decide whether to run another race later in the year. I dedicate the gold medal to Kenyans for believing in us,” the newest world champion said after her victory in Tokyo.
“I ran my Olympic Games debut in Japan and I have run my first world race here. I feel grateful and I thank God for this (the win). I wasn’t expecting it, but I won. I feel so happy to run my first world championships here (in Tokyo). It is my first time and my first world title.”
It was in Sapporo, Japan, that Jepchirchir cruised to an Olympic gold medal at the 2020 Games, which were staged in 2021 and went ahead to win the New York City Marathon that year.
“When I entered the stadium I was feeling exhausted. At 400m to go, she (Assefa) kicked and did it again at 200m but when I saw the finish line, energy came from nowhere,” said Jepchirchir.
She said she had to overcome unfavourable weather in Tokyo to defeat Assefa, who shattered her women-only record at the 2025 London Marathon.
“In April, I was in good shape but I twisted my ankle and the doctor told me that it was better to rest than to suffer a stress fracture. I was so stressed but I didn’t lose hope. I was in great shape preparing for the London Marathon and I rested for two months before resuming my training. I was to compete in Berlin but I decided to run the world championships,” she added.
Back home, Kenyans, led by President William Ruto, took to social media to express joy and congratulate the Jepchirchir for making an expectant nation proud on the world stage.
“Your resilience embodies the Kenyan spirit and proves once again that Kenya rules the marathons. Another gold for our nation, another proud moment as you raise our flag high,” the President said.