In a nail-biting conclusion that had spectators on the edge of their seats, Tanzanian Alphonce Felix Simbu clinched his country's first-ever world athletics title by surging ahead in the final strides of the men's marathon at the World Championships, beating Germany's Amanal Petros by a mere three-hundredths of a second.

The 33-year-old Simbu crossed the line in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 48 seconds inside Tokyo's National Stadium on Monday, September 15, 2025, with Petros matching the time but falling just short after a desperate dive. Italy's Iliass Aouani took bronze in 2:09:53, as the race – held under humid morning conditions – delivered the tightest finish in major championship marathon history.

Simbu, a flagbearer at the past three Olympic closing ceremonies, had been part of a thinning lead pack that included top contenders from Ethiopia and Kenya. The early chaos saw Kenyan Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich false-start, prompting a restart, while favorites like Ethiopia's Tadese Takele and Deresa Geleta faded in the final 10 kilometers due to the heat reaching 27 degrees Celsius. As the trio of Simbu, Petros, and Aouani entered the stadium, Petros led the charge, but Simbu's explosive kick in the last 10 meters sealed the dramatic upset.

Speaking afterward, Simbu shared the tension of the moment: "When we entered the stadium, I was not sure if I would win. I did not know if I had won. But when I saw the video screens and me on the top of the results, I felt relieved." He added that the victory marked a historic milestone for Tanzania, which had never before claimed a global gold in athletics. Petros, born in Eritrea and representing Germany, reflected graciously: "It's like the 100 metres. Coming into the finish, I was thinking about winning, so a bit of me is feeling very sad. But I have to accept it. As an athlete, you have to learn for tomorrow, train hard, keep going and be thankful for the silver."

This triumph builds on Simbu's strong year, including a runner-up finish at the Boston Marathon in April where he clocked 2:05:05, and a bronze from the 2017 London Worlds.

For Tanzania, the win revives East African dominance in distance running, coming a day after France's Jimmy Gressier broke a 40-year streak by taking the 10,000m title.