Peres Jepchirchir Wins Gold in Women's Marathon at World Athletics Championships

Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir makes history with dominant performance in Tokyo

Peres Jepchirchir dedicates her gold medal to Kenyans after a thrilling win in the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. Read more about her historic victory.

“In April, I was feeling so bad, because I was in a great shape, I had prepared well for the season but I...”

Kenyan long-distance runner Peres Jepchirchir dedicated her gold medal to Kenyans after a thrilling win in the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. The 31-year-old Olympic champion showcased her exceptional sprinting skills, edging out Ethiopia's Tigist Assefa by a mere two seconds.

The finish was nail-biting, with Jepchirchir and Assefa running neck-and-neck as they entered the Japan National Stadium. Assefa attempted to pull away, but Jepchirchir dug deep, finding "hidden energy" to surge ahead in the final 100 meters and claim victory in 2:24:43. Assefa settled for silver with a time of 2:24:45, while Julia Paternain took bronze in 2:27:23, earning Uruguay's first-ever medal at a senior global championship.

Jepchirchir's victory marked a significant milestone for Kenya, solidifying the country's dominance in long-distance running. For Uruguay, Paternain's bronze medal was a historic moment, marking the nation's first-ever medal at the World Athletics Championships. Jepchirchir's win also completed her collection of major marathon titles, cementing her legacy as one of the finest marathoners of her generation.

PERES TAKES IT 🏆

🇰🇪's Peres Jepchirchir wins the women's marathon in 2:24:43 after a fierce battle with 🇪🇹's Tigst Assefa right to the finish line 🔥

🇺🇾's Julia Paternain comes in third with 2:27:23 without having realised that she had crossed the finish line 😱… pic.twitter.com/1z8Pfj8oj4

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 14, 2025

‘I was not expecting it’

“I feel grateful, and I thank God for the gold medal, I was not expecting it but I won, I feel so happy, to run here for my first World Championships, it is my first time, and my first medal in the Championships, so I feel grateful,” said Jepchirchir.

“When I entered the Stadium, I was feeling very exhausted, when I was around 400m mark, I started to increase my speed, and again I kicked hard when it was 200m mark, but when I reached the 100m mark, I saw the finishing line, so that is how I did it, energy comes from nowhere.”

She added: “In April, I was feeling so bad, because I was in a great shape, I had prepared well for the season but I twisted the ankle, so the doctors told me it was better to rest, than to make it a stressful fracture, so I was tired, I was so stressed, but I didn’t lose hope, I came back with my shape, I was in great shape preparing for London, but I rested for two months and resumed my training for World Championships.

“Before, I was having that feeling that I was going to run in the World Championship, I was to run in Berlin, but I said no… let me go and run in the World Championship.”

On whether the weather condition was conducive, she said: “it was so tough, it was so tough, but I thank God I managed it.”

Peres Jepchirchir's Future Plans

After dedicating her gold medal to Kenyans following a thrilling win in the women's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, Peres Jepchirchir shared her plans for the rest of the year. "I am going back home, you know this is the only marathon I have raced this year, I am expecting to run another one before the end of this year, God willing," Jepchirchir said. This suggests that despite her recent success, Jepchirchir remains focused on her training and competitive schedule, with another marathon potentially awaiting her before the year concludes.

She continued: “This is my first marathon this year, so maybe at the end of this year I will compete again.”

Asked to reveal which marathon she is targeting to compete in, she responded: “I don’t know, I will have to go and seek an audience with my manager to see which race is available for me to go and run.”

She concluded: “I am dedicating the medal to all my Kenyans, my fans, and Kenya for believing in us and praying for us, I am dedicating this to Kenyans.

“I have very good memories here (in Tokyo), I ran my first Olympic marathon here, and I think this is the second World Championship here, and I ran my first marathon here, I have very good memories here in Tokyo, Japan.”

Jepchirchir was the champion at the 2016 and 2020 World Half Marathon Championships, and claimed victories at the 2021 New York City and 2022 Boston Marathon, before finishing third at the 2023 London Marathon.