Tanzania’s Alphonce Felix Simbu made history in Tokyo on Monday, claiming his country’s first-ever gold medal at the World Athletics Championships after a dramatic marathon finish decided by the slimmest of margins.
The 33-year-old Simbu crossed the line in 2:09:48, edging Germany’s Amanal Petros by just three hundredths of a second in the closest marathon finish ever recorded at a global championship. Italy’s Iliass Aouani secured bronze with a time of 2:09:53.
Simbu, who previously won bronze in the marathon at the 2017 World Championships and finished runner-up at the 2025 Boston Marathon, said he wasn’t certain he had won until he saw his name at the top of the results screen inside Tokyo’s National Stadium.
“I made history today – the first Tanzanian gold medal at a world championships,” he told reporters.
The nail-biting finish eclipsed previous records for close marathon victories, including the 2001 World Championships when Ethiopian Gezahegne Abera beat Kenya’s Simon Biwott by one second.
The race itself was full of surprises. Kenyan runner Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich was disqualified for a false start, while Ethiopia’s Tadese Takele and Deresa Geleta — both pre-race favorites — faded before the final stretch.
Petros, who looked destined for victory until Simbu’s last-second surge, admitted the defeat was painful but vowed to return stronger.
“It felt like the 100m sprint at the end. I thought I had it, but Simbu’s finish was stronger. I’m disappointed, but grateful for the silver,” he said.
Simbu’s triumph was celebrated as a major win for East African distance running, reaffirming the region’s dominance after a series of surprising results earlier in the championships.