How does a 42.2K race always seem to come down to a sprint finish? On Sunday morning in Tokyo, Kenya’s 2021 Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir held off Ethiopian former world record holder Tigst Assefa in a thrilling 300-metre sprint for the marathon world title, winning in two hours, 24 minutes and 43 seconds. Assefa settled for second in 2:24:45, while Uruguay’s Julia Paternain scored a surprise bronze medal in 2:27:23–in only her second marathon ever.
Paternain’s performance marks Uruguay’s first world championship medal in any event; but she hadn’t realized she landed herself a spot on the podium–or even completed the event–until she ran past the finish line. The 25-year-old was born in Mexico, grew up in the U.K., and studied in the U.S.
Team USA’s Susannah Sullivan took the race out hot, leading by herself for an hour and boasting a dominant 30-second lead by halfway. She was caught by the chase back in the second half, but remarkably hung on for fourth with a time of 2:28:17.
Wodak nails race plan
Canada’s Natasha Wodak took 31st in a solid 2:36:02. During a post-race interview with Canadian Running, she expressed her excitement for how the race played out. She loved the crowd, she said, and nailed her goal of finishing under 2:37. Wodak hinted that Tokyo 2025 could mark final last world championships–so she was sure to take it all in.
Canadian Running’s coverage of the 2025 World Athletics Championships is brought to you by ASICS Canada.
