- Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania secured gold in a dramatic photo finish at a major championship marathon, marking his country's first world title.
- Simbu narrowly defeated Germany's Amanal Petros by just 0.03 seconds, with both athletes recording a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 48 seconds.
- The race culminated in a thrilling sprint to the finish line inside Tokyo's National Stadium, where Simbu surged past Petros, while Italy's Iliass Aouani claimed the bronze medal.
- Simbu expressed his relief and pride, highlighting that he had “made history today” for Tanzania, building on his previous bronze at the 2017 world championships and a second-place finish at the Boston marathon.
- The event also featured an early false start and saw several leading contenders, including Ethiopia's Tadese Takele and Deresa Geleta, withdraw from the race before its conclusion.
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