Six appeal as Kenyan Kipsang wins Tokyo Marathon

TOKYO

Kenya's Wilson Kipsang stormed to victory in the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday in the fastest race ever run in Japan.

The former world record holder clocked 2hr 3min 58sec over a flatter course than in previous years as he added the Tokyo title to victories in London, New York and Berlin.

Sarah Chepchirchir won the women's race in a personal best 2:19:47 — the first sub-2:20 in Japan — to complete a perfect day for Kenya.

The top six men's finishers were all Kenyans with Gideon Kipketer runner-up in 2:05:51 and former winner Dickson Chumba third in 2:06:25.

Evans Chebet (2:06:42), Alfers Lagat (2:07:39) and Bernard Kipyego (2:08:10) all finished ahead of Eritrean Yohanes Gebregergish, who clocked 2:08:14 to edge out Japan's Hiroto Inoue.Kipsang had targeted countryman Dennis Kimetto's world record of 2:02:57.

Kipsang had targeted countryman Dennis Kimetto's world record of 2:02:57 and he got off to a quick start in the Tokyo sunshine.

However, the tough running conditions were not favourable for a fast race.

The 34-year-old's pace dropped over the final 10 kilometres running into a slight breeze but still ran a fourth sub-2:04.

"I felt good today and I was trying to go for a world record," said Kipsang, who held the world mark with a 2:03:23 run at the Berlin Marathon in 2013 before Kimetto surpassed that a year later.

"It was a little bit windy," added the London Olympic bronze medallist. "That's why I couldn't run that time, but I look forward to coming back and hope to compete at the Tokyo Olympics in 2020."

Chepchirchir left a quality field in her wake, former champion Birhane Dibaba of Ethiopia finishing second over a minute and a half behind in her bid to win a second Tokyo title in three years.