Athletics World Championships: Tamirat Tola wins gold in the marathon – double victory for Ethiopia

Enlarge image

No marathon runner at a world championship has ever been faster than Tamirat Tola

Photo: Erik S. Lesser/EPA

Ethiopian Tamirat Tola won gold in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene.

The World Championship runner-up from London 2017 prevailed early on Sunday morning (local time) after 42.195 km with the championship record of 2:05:35 hours.

The Kenyan Abel Kirui set the previous record in Berlin in 2009 (2:06:54).

"I learned from my mistake in 2017," Tola said.

Five years ago he attacked too briskly in the fight for gold and was only able to save silver with difficulty.

In second place, Mosinet Geremew (2:06:44) completed an Ethiopian double victory on the circuit in perfect conditions (14 degrees, light wind) and, like in 2019, took silver in Doha.

Bronze went to Olympic bronze medalist Bashir Abdi from Belgium (2:06:49).

Defending champion Lelisa Desisa (Ethiopia) retired just before the 30km mark.

Kenyan Geoffrey Kamworor finished sixth as the best runner in the great marathon nation (2:07:15).

The 30-year-old Rostocker Tom Gröschel lost touch very early on and finished in 2:14:57 hours in 43rd place. Gröschel was the only marathon runner nominated by the German Athletics Association.

"That was probably the toughest race I've ever been in," he said.

"I would have liked to have had a German comrade-in-arms with me."

The German record holder Amanal Petros and the other DLV elite runners will start at the home European Championship from August 15th to 25th in Munich.

A number of the world's best marathon runners also missed the World Cup because they would rather earn money from the races in the fall.

For example, world record holder Eliud Kipchoge will start at the Berlin Marathon on September 25th.

Only two runners for Kenya started in Eugene: Lawrence Cherono, fourth at the Olympics in Sapporo, was only suspended on Saturday for a doping offence.

The 33-year-old, who won the legendary Boston Marathon in 2019, violated anti-doping guidelines and was provisionally suspended.

A sample provided by Cherono on May 23 found the banned substance trimetazidine.

The performance-enhancing drug has been on the banned list since 2014.

ara/sid/dpa