Peres back in Japan with hopes of another gold medal

At 1.30am on Sunday, the start gun will be going off and women marathon stars representing their respective nations will stomp the streets of Tokyo as they battle for the 2025 World Athletics 42km title.

Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir will be anchoring Kenya’s quest for a gold medal as she races alongside compatriots at the Japanese capital.

It was in Sapporo, Japan that Jepchirchir struck her 2020 Olympic gold medal in 2021.

And on Sunday, she leads Kenya’s brigade of reigning Rotterdam Marathon champion Jackline Cherono and Frankfurt marathon runner-up Magdalyne Masai in the high-stakes 42km contest.

Kenyan fans will be forced to stay awake until the early morning hours to follow the women’s action.

Jepchirchir will be hoping to replay the 2021 script when she lines up in Sunday's world marathon. She will be debuting at the World Championships.

One thing will be underlined in the Kenyan women’s mission in Tokyo tomorrow; reclaiming Kenya’s impressive achievements in the marathon.

Since the 2019 stunning victory by Ruth Chepngetich, the country’s women are yet to reproduce a similar script.

Chepngetich outsmarted Rose Chelimo of Bahrain, who bagged a silver medal and Namibia’s Helaila Johannes who took the bronze medal.

The country however slipped into a gold medal drought in 2022 Oregon and 2023 Budapest.

Sunday’s battle for honours will be defined by the spirit to bring back the marathon glory.

In 2022, the gold medal went to Ethiopia’s Amade Beriso and in 2023, silver medallist Gotytom Gebreslasse also from the neighbouring nation upgraded her position to victory.

Judith Korir won silver for Kenya that year while Israeli Lonah Chemtai bagged bronze.

In stake, will be reestablishing the dominance founded by the likes of Catherine Ndereba, the gold medallist in 2003 Paris and 2007 Osaka and Edna Kiplagat, who won the 2011 and 2013 editions among others who impressed at the world stage.

They will be taking on athletics bigwigs such as former record holder Tigst Assefa of Ethiopia and her compatriots among them two-time Tokyo Marathon champion Sutume Kebede as well as Bahraini Shitayi Eshete.

“This is my first time being in the World Championships. I have been to the African Games before,” he said during the launch,” Jepchirchir, who is a former women-only world record holder, said during her preparations.

Jepchirchir also stated: “I have not competed in any race since the Paris Olympics last year because of an injury. We know we are going to try our best in Tokyo. I know that Ethiopia has selected a strong team and the competition is going to be tough but we are also strong.

The marathon course starts with one and a quarter laps around the Japan National Stadium and then the runners will head to Tomihisacho, Suidobashi, Jimbocho, Sudacho, Akihabara (first turning point), Ginza 4-chome (second turning point), Sudacho, Jimbocho, Tokyo Station (third turning point), Jimbocho, Suidobashi, Tomihisacho, and finish at the Japan National Stadium.

Due to expected elevated heat conditions that could pose a health and safety risk to competing athletes, World Athletics made changes to the starting times.

All road events on the first three days of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 will start 30 minutes earlier than scheduled.