Tokyo Marathon 2015 race recap

Monday, April 13, 2015, Tokyo The ninth running of the Tokyo Marathon on Feb. 22, 2015 set in motion the official start of a new one-year cycle of the Abbott World Marathon Majors (AWMM) race series.

The new format features a rotating start and finish at each of the six annual series races. AWMM Series IX commenced with the Tokyo Marathon 2015 and ends with the completion of the February Tokyo Marathon 2016. The AWMM determines the world's best male and female marathoners, awarding a $1 million prize purse split evenly by the men's and women's champions.

The star-studded elite field in Tokyo included two 2012 London Olympic Marathon gold medalists (Tiki Gelana and Stephen Kiprotich), a defending champion (Dickson Chumba) and an astonishing 20 men with sub 2:09:30 personal bests. While the course records for both the men and women remained intact, the footrace up front saw Endeshaw Negesse put some distance on 2014 defending champion and course record holder, Dickson Chumba, over the final three kilometers. As Chumba started to fade, Kiprotich found an extra gear and pushed past him just before the finish, creating an exciting duel for second place.

Birhane Dibaba controlled the tempo on the women's side and looked in-command from the gun. She comfortably won in 2:23:15. Helah Kiprop, making just her second appearance in an AWMM race, finished second and Olympic Champion Tiki Gelana hung on for third.

Men:
1) Endeshaw Negesse (Ethiopia) 2:06:00
2) Stephen Kiprotich (Uganda) 2:06:33
3) Dickson Chumba (Kenya) 2:06:34
4) Shumi Dechasa (Bahrain) 2:07:20
5) Peter Some (Kenya) 2:07:22
6) Markos Geneti (Ethiopia) 2:07:25
7) Masato Imai (Japan) 2:07:39
8) Tsegaye Kebede (Ethiopia) 2:07:58
9) Hiroaki Sano (Japan) 2:09:12
10) Benjamin NGandu (Kenya) 2:09:18

Women:
1) Birhane Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2:23:15
2) Helah Kiprop (Kenya) 2:24:03
3) Tiki Gelana (Ethiopia) 2:24:26
4) Selly Chepyego (Kenya) 2:26:43
5) Flomena Cheyech Daniel (Kenya) 2:26:54
6) Yeshi Esayias (Ethiopia) 2:30:15
7) Madoka Ogi (Japan) 2:30:25
8) Albina Mayorova (Russia) 2:34:21
9) Yukari Abe (Japan) 2:34:43
10) Yumiko Kinoshita (Japan) 2:35:49

Current Leaderboard Standings:

Men:
Endeshaw Negesse (ETH): 25 pts
Stephen Kiprotich (UGA): 16 pts
Dickson Chumba (KEN): 9 pts
Shumi Dechasa (BRN): 4 pts
Peter Some (KEN): 1 pt

Women:
Birhane Dibaba (ETH): 25 pts
Helah Kiprop (KEN): 16 pts
Tiki Gelana (ETH): 9 pts
Selly Chepyego (KEN): 4 pts
Flomena Daniel (KEN): 1 pt

About Abbott World Marathon Majors
The Tokyo, Boston, Virgin Money London, BMW BERLIN, Bank of America Chicago, and TCS New York City Marathons together represent the Abbott World Marathon Majors and serve as Qualifying Races. In the years in which they are run, the Series also includes the IAAF World Championships and Olympic Marathons. At the conclusion of each Series cycle, a $1 million prize purse is divided equally between the top male and female marathoners in the world as determined by points earned in Qualifying Races. The inaugural 2006-2007 WMM Series was launched at the 110th Boston Marathon on April 17, 2006, and concluded at the New York City Marathon on Nov. 4, 2007. The Tokyo Marathon became a Qualifying Race in October 2012, and the 2013-2014 series, the WMM's eighth two-year series, began with the Tokyo Marathon on Feb. 24, 2013, and concluded at the TCS New York City Marathon on Nov. 2, 2014. The first Abbott World Marathon Majors series, titled AWMM Series IX, began at the Tokyo Marathon 2015 and will conclude after completion of the Tokyo Marathon 2016.

CONTACTS:

TOKYO MARATHON
Ulala Nagashima
nagashima@tokyo42195.org
+81.3.5500.6653

BOSTON MARATHON
Jack Fleming
fleming@baa.org
+1.617.778.1627

VIRGIN MONEY LONDON MARATHON
Penny Dain
pennyd@london­marathon.co.uk
+44.0.7799.170433

BMW BERLIN­-MARATHON
Thomas Steffens
thomas.steffens@scc­events.com
?+49.171.9334836

BANK OF AMERICA CHICAGO MARATHON
Alex Sawyer
alex.sawyer@bankofamerica.com
+1.312.992.6618

TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON
Chris Weiller
cweiller@nyrr.org
+1.212.320.4046

AWMM
Cindy Hamilton
press@wmmajors.com
+1.312.659.0554