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On Sunday morning at the Tokyo Marathon, Brigid Kosgei continued to show why she’s one of the greatest marathoners off all-time with a commanding win in 2:16:02, the third-fastest women’s time in history.
Kosgei, who set the current women’s world record of 2:14:04 in Chicago in 2019, faced a compelling battle from Ethiopia’s Ashete Bekere and Gotytom Gebreslase through the 30K (18-mile) mark, but soon it was a two-woman race between Kosgei and Bekere.
Kosgei, a 28-year-old Kenyan, continued to push the pace after the 35K mark, running a 15:48 5K split to pull away and secure the victory, her fifth World Marathon Majors win since 2018. Bekere hung on for second in 2:17:58, while Gebreslase was third in 2:18:18.
“I’m very glad for winning the race with the new course record and Japanese all-comers,” Kosgei wrote on Instagram. “My goal was to run fast and I achieved it. Arigatō Tōkyō.”
American Sara Hall, 38, entered the race hoping to break Keira D’Amato’s new American record of 2:19:12. That mark was set on January 16 at the Houston Marathon, the same day that Hall lowered the American record in the half marathon to 1:07:15.
Kosgei took the leaders through the halfway point in an impressive 1:08:06, while Hall came through 13.1 miles in 1:09:29 with the second. That was the fastest half-marathon split Hall had ever run, eclipsing her 1:09:38 split at The Marathon Project in December 2020, where she ran her personal-best of 2:20:32.
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Hall held on as long as she could, ultimately finishing in eighth in 2:22:56, the fourth-fastest marathon of her career.
“Let it rip, left it all out there in #Tokyomarathon. Went out faster than I ever have before with a great group, but wheels came off and ended up 8th in 2:22:56,” Hall wrote on Instagram. “No regrets, and grateful for the opportunity to run in this beautiful city and country that inspires me every time I visit!”
More 2021 Tokyo Marathon Results
Missed the excitement of the race? See below for a recap of the results for the women’s marathon and see how those stack up against the fastest marathon times of all-time.
Women’s Results
1. Brigid Kosgei (KEN) — 2:16:02
2. Ashete Bekere (ETH) — 2:17:58
3. Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) — 2:18:18
4. Angela Tanui (KEN) — 2:18:42
5. Hiwot Gebrekidan (ETH) — 2:19:10
6. Mao Ichiyama (JPN) — 2:21:02
7. Hitomi Niiya (JPN) — 2:21:17
8. Sara Hall (USA) — 2:22:56
9. Helen Bekele (ETH) — 2:24:33
10. Kaori Morita (JPN) — 2:27:38
All-Time Fastest Women’s Marathon Times
1. Brigid Kosgei (Kenya), 2:14:04 (Chicago 2019)
2. Paula Radcliffe (UK) 2:15:25 (London 2003)
3. Brigid Kosgei (Kenya), 2:16:02 (Tokyo 2021, run in 2022)
4. Mary Keitany (Kenya), 2:17:01 (London 2017)
5. Ruth Chepngetich (Kenya), 2:17:08 (Dubai, 2019)
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