Kenya’s Philimon Kiptoo Kipchumba secured the Shanghai Marathon title after beating close rivals at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday, November 26, 2023.

Kipchumba ran in 2:05:35 to improve the Chinese all-comers’ record to 2:05:35, beating his rival Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania, who ran in 2:05:39, as Kenya’s Solomon Yego completed the podium finish in 2:05:42.

Kipchumba almost chopped off two minutes from his 2:07:28 personal best, which he set at the 2022 Munich Marathon. In Shanghai, Kipchumba shattered the Chinese all-comers’ record of 2:06:19 that was set by Kenya’s Moses Mosop in Xiamen in 2015.

He came to the Shnghai Marathon with quite an impeccable record, having won in Hong Kong and Xiamen in February and April, respectively.

Kipchumba elated

“It’s my first time in Shanghai. The course is very good, and the weather for today is perfect. I am so grateful to win the race and to break the course record and even China’s (all-comers’) record,” Kipchumba said, as quoted by World Athletics.

Meanwhile, in the early stages, 15 men were in the leading pack as the men’s race hit a fast pace in the early stages, reaching the 10km mark in 29:50, 15km in 44:48, and 20km in 59:55.

Only four runners, including Kipchumba, kept pace with the pacer at the 25-kilometer mark. The others were Kipchumba’s compatriots, Solomon Yego and Kenneth Keter, as well as Simbu, who is Tanzania’s 2017 world bronze medalist.

The pacer stepped off the course as the race hit the 30km mark in 1:29:24, and according to World Athletics, they were already more than one minute ahead of the course record pace.

With two kilometres to the finish line, Yego showed intent on winning, but he quickly faded away as Kipchumba and Simbu stepped up to take the first and second positions.

Kirwa, a 2:06:24 performer and winner of the 2023 Copenhagen Marathon, finished third.

Shanghai Marathon men’s leading results

1 Philimon Kitoo Kipchumba (KEN) 2:05:35
2 Alphonce Felix Simbu (TAN) 2:05:39
3 Solomon Kirwa Yego (KEN) 2:05:42
4 Kenneth Keter (KEN) 2:05:53
5 Enoch Onchari (KEN) 2:07:47
6 Kinde Atanew Ayaler (ETH) 2:08:27
7 Debesay Desale Tekelemarian (ETH) 2:09:19
8 Nicholas Kirwa (KEN) 2:11:16