Eliud Kipchoge has been crowned the Abbott World Marathon Majors men's Series champion for a record-breaking fifth time.
It’s Kipchoge’s fifth series triumph in six years. Only Albert Korir has broken his string of wins when he took the COVID-interrupted series that concluded in 2021.
Kipchoge finished level on points at the top of the Series XIV leaderboard with his countryman Evans Chebet, but under AbbottWMM tie-break rules, the decision rested with the six Majors race directors to nominate a champion.
Kipchoge’s historic world record at the 2022 BMW BERLIN-MARATHON lead them to naming the 38-year-old as the winner. That 2:01:09 performance was added to his course record 2:02:40 in Tokyo to complete a stellar year for the double Olympic champion.
Chebet had a stunning 12 months in his own right. The 33-year-old from Kapsabet conquered the Boston Marathon in April in a time of 2:06:51 before a patient performance in New York City brought him the Big Apple title on his debut in the race.
He is the first man to complete the Boston-New York City double since Geoffrey Mutai in 2011.
Amos Kipruto’s 41 points from victory in London and second place in Tokyo were enough for third place in the final standings.
Tamirat Tola and Benson Kipruto ended the series tied on 34 points, with Tola edging the decision by the race directors owing to his world championship victory against a stellar field in Eugene.
In the women’s series, Gotytom Gebreslase rounded off a tremendous year with the women's AbbottWMM silverware in her possession. The Ethiopian claimed the world title in Oregon in July, having already secured third place in Tokyo back in March.
That took her to 34 points and first place in the leaderboard, with only Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter in a position to tie the 27-year-old if she could storm to victory in New York City.
Salpeter could only manage second behind Sharon Lokedi, however, with Gebreslase’s third place enough to ensure she maintained her grip on the series.
Behind Gebreslase, a gaggle of women ended the year on 25 points each, leaving the race directors to decide on the final positions for second down to fifth place.
Kenyan Ruth Chepngetich’s astonishing 2:14:18 in Chicago to become the second fastest woman in marathon history earned her the second-place vote.
The magnificent TCS London Marathon debut of Ethiopian Yalemzerf Yehualaw – against a field packed with nine women boasting personal bests lower than 2:20 – swayed the vote for third place her way.
Brigid Kosgei’s course-record 2:16:02 in Tokyo, Tigist Assefa’s 2:15:37 course record in Berlin, Peres Jepchirchir’s battling performance in Boston and Lokedi’s triumph in New York could not be separated in the eyes of the race directors. Each athlete was therefore awarded a share of fourth place.
Elite Series XV of the Abbott World Marathon Majors commences at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon on March 5.
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