Thanks to blasting the stretch between 30K and 40K in 28:27, Tamirat Tola of Ethiopia dispatched a large lead pack and raced solo to win the 2022 world marathon title in 2:05:37. The time set a new championship record; the previous mark of 2:06:54 was set by Kenyan Abel Kirui in 2009 in Berlin.
Mosinet Geremew of Ethiopia repeated as the silver medalist in 2:06:45, and Olympic bronze medalist Basher Abdi of Belgium, in 2:06:49, was third today as well. Cam Levins, who won two NCAA titles at Southern Utah University in 2012, placed fourth in a Canadian record of 2:07:10.
How the Americans Fared
Hometown favorite Galen Rupp was the first American finisher, placing 19th in 2:09:37. The other Americans, Elkanah Kibet, and Colin Mickow, placed 24th (2:11:20) and 46th (2:16:37), respectively.
“I just missed too much time, I think, training,” Rupp said about a buildup that included a herniated disc and a mild case of Covid. “It’s been a very up-and-down last few months. I had to fight through. This was obviously a tough one. Proud of myself to get across the finish line.
“It was great,” Rupp said about the crowds in the city where he went to college. “Best fans here, it meant so much to me, hearing everybody out there, seeing familiar faces. It was very special running out there, for sure.”
Kibet said he felt fatigued on the final lap of the three-lap course. “It went out good from the beginning, and then when we hit 30K, they made a move and my body was tired a little,” he said. “I don’t know why. Sometimes it happens like that.”
Mickow took a spill at a water stop around 7 miles into the race. He missed his bottle and tripped. Although he popped back up quickly and adrenaline took over, the incident caught up with him on the second lap, and he began cramping.
His cramping was so bad that he needed a wheelchair after the race. His advice for the American women racing this marathon tomorrow? “Don’t fall.”
How the Race Was Won
In great marathoning weather (overcast, temperatures in the 50s), the race started conservatively. It appeared that prerace talk about a championship record on the flat, three-loop course would be wrong. An unusually large pack passed halfway in 64:08. There were still 32 men within a few seconds of each other as they began their final 14-kilometer circuit.
A few minutes later, that was no longer the case.
Just past the 30K mark, Tola moved to the front. Others had occasionally made slight moves to try to urge things along, but got no takers, and eased back into the pack. Not so with Tola. He dropped the pace by about 10 seconds per mile and didn’t let up. Men started losing contact immediately, including Rupp soon before the 20-mile mark. By 33K, the pack was down to 12.
Then Tola really started pushing. He upped the tempo again and immediately had a solo lead. He ran his 35th kilometer in 2:43, which is 27:00 10K pace. His five closest rivals gave no chase and regrouped to race for silver and bronze. Tola kept the pressure on the rest of the way, covering 30K to 35K in 14:24 and 35K to 40K in 14:03. The dangling carrot of that championship record got bigger and bigger, and then was obliterated, with Tola finishing 77 seconds under the previous mark.
Behind Tola, the eventual other medalists broke Levins and two-time NYC Marathon champ Geoffrey Kamworor. Abdi got a one-step lead on Geremew with a kilometer to go, but couldn’t hold it, as the Ethiopian kicked well to claim his second consecutive world silver medal.
Tola’s win is the biggest accomplishment of his career, but the 30-year-old was hardly a slouch before today. He won silver in this event in 2017 and was the 10,000-meter Olympic bronze medalist in 2016.
The Ethiopian Edge
The 2019 world champion, Lelisa Desisa, automatically qualified for the race today, giving Ethiopia four men in the race. He dropped out after the second of three loops, but Ethiopians still dominated, with last year’s Chicago winner, Seifu Tura placing sixth in 2:07:17.
Speaking through a translator, Tola said, “We were in a hotel for a month and we trained for one month, discussing our strategy how to win this marathon race all together.”
Geremew added, through the same translator, “As you all know, Ethiopia [has made] a beautiful name in the marathon before, so we’re happy to proceed that legacy in our time.”
When asked about their running heroes growing up, Tola and Geremew mentioned compatriots Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele.
Bronze medalist Abdi added a third: Abebe Bikila, also of Ethiopia, the two-time Olympic marathon gold medalist who won in 1960 running barefoot. “He was running 42K without the Vaporflys,” Abdi said.
An Impressive Streak
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir of Mongolia ran in his 10th-consecutive World Championship marathon, dating back to 2003. He finished in 26th place in 2:11:39.
A Canadian Record for Levins
It Was Good Marathoning Weather, But Still
Melikhaya Frans of South Africa raced in a T-shirt. He placed 18th in a personal best of 2:09:24, one place and 12 seconds ahead of Rupp.
—Chris Hatler and Sarah Lorge Butler contributed to this report.
Scott is a veteran running, fitness, and health journalist who has held senior editorial positions at Runner’s World and Running Times. Much of his writing translates sport science research and elite best practices into practical guidance for everyday athletes. He is the author or coauthor of several running books, including Running Is My Therapy, Advanced Marathoning, and Meb for Mortals. Scott has also written about running for Slate, The Atlantic, the Washington Post, and other members of the sedentary media. His lifetime running odometer is past 110,000 miles, but he’s as much in love as ever.
