Jepchirchir could not, however, confirm her next competition, saying she has to sit with her manager after her victory to come up with a decision.
Jepchirchir gave Kenya the second gold medal in the women’s marathon as the event entered the second day at the Japan National Stadium in Tokyo.
Peres Jepchirchir crosses the finish line to win the women's marathon in Tokyo/HANDOUT
Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Peres Jepchirchir plans to run another marathon before the year ends, following her gold medal win in the women’s marathon at the ongoing World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.“I know I need to run one more marathon before the year closes, but I will confirm the race once I agree with the manager,” she said after her victory.Jepchirchir delivered Kenya’s second gold of the championships, edging out Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa in a dramatic sprint finish over the final 50 metres to win in a season-best 2:24:43. Assefa clocked 2:24:45, while Uruguay’s Julia Paternain secured bronze in 2:27:23.The United States’ Susanna Sullivan, who led for much of the race, placed fourth in 2:28:17, with Finland’s Alisa Vaino finishing fifth in 2:28:32.Other Kenyans in the race included Jackline Cherono, who finished 18th in 2:33:17, while Magdalene Masai did not finish despite running in third place with 40 minutes to go.“I won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and here I am with another gold. I am thrilled. I am very excited,” said Jepchirchir, who acknowledged the tough race conditions. “The weather was crazy. I’m just happy to have survived the heat."She said the race came down to the final 50 metres. “I don’t even know where the energy came from, but I just saw myself crossing the finish and I am happy,” she said. “Truth be told... I was very tired when I entered the stadium, but I believe this was my day and God gave me the strength.”Jepchirchir said Assefa had made two attempts to break away—once with 400m to go and again in the last 100m—but couldn't shake her.She dedicated the medal to Kenyans and thanked her fans for their support.This was Jepchirchir’s first marathon since the 2024 Paris Olympics, where the 32-year-old placed 14th after failing to defend her Olympic title. In 2020, she won Olympic gold in 2:27:20 ahead of compatriot Brigid Kosgei (2:27:36) and American Molly Siedel (2:27:46). Paris 2024 was won by the Netherlands' Sifan Hassan (2:22:55).Jepchirchir’s resume remains stellar, with major wins in the 2021 New York Marathon (2:22:39), the 2022 Boston Marathon (2:21:01), and the 2023 London Marathon (2:16:16). She also placed second at the 2023 London race in 2:18:38.In the half marathon, she has clinched three world titles: Cardiff 2016 (1:07:31), Gdynia 2020 (1:05:16), and Riga 2023 (1:07:25).
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