© Copyright – 2023 – Athletics Illustrated

In 1896 Budapest began the building of Hősök Tere (Heroes’ Square) to commemorate the thousandth anniversary of the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin. Today, Hősök Tere offers a stunning monument to past victories of war.

On Saturday, Victor Kiplangat ran the light-bulb-shaped loop of Hősök Tere in the scorching heat for the fourth and final time to complete the 42.195-kilometre marathon, with the entire field trailing him. The 23-year-old, who won the Commonwealth Games marathon last year, ran a smart race capped by a fast finish and recorded a 2:08:53 performance for the win. He earned the second gold medal for Uganda at these championships after Joshua Cheptegei’s 10,000m victory last Sunday.

For Uganda, a poverty-stricken and land-locked nation bordering Kenya, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kiplangat and Cheptegei are Hősöks (heroes). It’s been 10 years since Uganda arrived on the athletics scene and today, some of the best distance runners hail from there.

When he finished, Kiplangat dropped to his knees, emotional with the toll of the victory.

“The day was actually good for me; the day was my day,” said Kiplangat. “God has favoured me. This is the dream I have been dreaming.”

Maru Teferi tripped up in the late stages (32K) was out of the running for a medal until he wasn’t. The Israeli runner picked himself up off the tarmac and made for the runners ahead of him. He eventually passed Leul Gebresilase of Ethiopia, to take second in the time of 2:09:12 Gebresilase took third in 2:09:19.

Oddly, much like American Susanna Sullivan in the women’s race, 41-year-old Ser-Od Bat-Ochir took off from the gun and established a 27-second lead on the field. Over the first 10K, it appeared that the Mongolian was simply seeking camera time. If he thought for a second that it was a smart tactic, then he is a high-stakes gambler. The extremely high-risk and monumentally high-reward scenario was beyond likely and he ended up paying dearly. Bat-Ochir experienced severe hamstring issues and dropped out shortly after.

Bat-Ochir’s disruption had caused the main pack to become restless, concerned that perhaps he was onto something. They began to chase him down.

Just before 10K at approximately 30:30, the lead pack swallowed up Bat-Ochir.

Then, the pack of 15 men was running just a handful of seconds off the lead runner, Kenya’s Timothy Kiplagat.

Image screen capture Twitter, Kiplangat for the win.

The field worked together in a calm state, biding their time. The following three 5K splits were run in the mid-15s.

The pace began to pick up over the next 5K because Kiplagat put in a surge. The leaders ran from 25 to 30K in 15:05. Kiplagat began to turn the screws running some km splits under three minutes late in the race. This broke several field and allowed Teferi to hunt the runners down methodically.

Italy had a good showing with Daniele Meucchi finishing in 10th in the time of 2:11:06 and teammate Yhanes Chiappinelli one position back in 2:11:12. Rory Linkletter was the first of three Canadians to cross the finish line. He clocked a 2:12:16 performance and finished in 19th place. Ben Preisner and Justin Kent followed in 28th and 30th positions. Ichitake Yamashita was the first Japanese runner across the line in 12th finishing in 2:11:19.

Twenty-five of 85 starters dropped out.

Results

POSATHLETENATRESULT
1Victor KIPLANGATUGA2:08:53
2Maru TEFERIISR2:09:12 SB
3Leul GEBRESILASEETH2:09:19
4Tebello RAMAKONGOANALES2:09:57 PB
5Stephen KISSAUGA2:10:22
6Milkesa MENGESHAETH2:10:43
7Hassan CHAHDIFRA2:10:45 SB
8Titus KIPRUTOKEN2:10:47
9John HAKIZIMANARWA2:10:50
10Daniele MEUCCIITA2:11:06 SB
11Yohanes CHIAPPINELLIITA2:11:12
12Ichitaka YAMASHITAJPN2:11:19
13Zach PANNINGUSA2:11:21 SB
14Timothy KIPLAGATKEN2:11:25
15Haftom WELDAYGER2:11:25
16Isaac MPOFUZIM2:11:33 SB
17Tsegaye GETACHEWETH2:11:56
18Mehdi FRÈREFRA2:11:59
19Rory LINKLETTERCAN2:12:16 SB
20Haimro ALAMEISR2:12:32
21Tariku NOVALESESP2:12:39 SB
22Ayad LAMDASSEMESP2:12:59
23Sondre Nordstad MOENNOR2:13:12
24Ibrahim CHAKIRESP2:13:44
25Mohamed Reda EL AARABYMAR2:13:55 SB
26Johannes MOTSCHMANNGER2:14:19
27Mustapha HOUDADIMAR2:14:30
28Ben PREISNERCAN2:15:02 SB
29Johnatas DE OLIVEIRABRA2:15:13
30Justin KENTCAN2:15:26
31Tiidrek NURMEEST2:15:42
32Jose Luis SANTANA MARINMEX2:15:51
33Berhane Tsegay TEKLEERI2:16:08
34Adam NOWICKIPOL2:16:22
35Kenya SONOTAJPN2:16:40
36Segundo JAMIECU2:16:49
37Ngonidzashe NCUBEZIM2:17:02 SB
38Shaohui YANGCHN2:17:12
39Paulo Roberto PAULABRA2:17:18
40Levente SZEMEREIHUN2:17:20
41Omar HASSANART2:17:23
42Kazuya NISHIYAMAJPN2:17:41
43Onesphore NZIKWINKUNDABDI2:18:27
44Nicolás CUESTASURU2:19:20
45Jie HECHN2:19:48
46Nelson ITO CCUROPER2:20:00
47Ernesto Andrés ZAMORAURU2:20:59
48Goitom KIFLEERI2:21:28
49Peiyou FENGCHN2:22:00
50Hüseyin CANTUR2:22:11 SB
51Tumelo MOTLAGALERSA2:22:14
52Moath ALKHAWALDEHJOR2:22:33 SB
53Maxim RĂILEANUMDA2:22:46
54Tomas Hilifa RAINHOLDNAM2:23:36
55Nico MONTANEZUSA2:24:58 SB
56Nicolae Alexandru SOAREROU2:25:14
57Luis Fernando OSTOS CRUZPER2:25:50
58Justino PEDRO DA SILVABRA2:25:53
59Byambajav TSEVEENRAVDANMGL2:30:28
60Simon SIBEKORSA2:31:59
 Joaquin ARBEARGDNF
 Olivier IRABARUTABDIDNF
 Ibrahim HASSANDJIDNF
 Hassan WAISSDJIDNF
 Oqbe Kibrom RUESOMERIDNF
 Tamirat TOLAETHDNF
 Morhad AMDOUNIFRADNF
 Eyob GHEBREHIWET FANIELITADNF
 Joshua BELETKENDNF
 Hamza SAHLIMARDNF
 Patricio CASTILLOMEXDNF
 Ser-Od BAT-OCHIRMGLDNF
 Olonbayar JAMSRANMGLDNF
 Abdi NAGEEYENEDDNF
 Derlys AYALAPARDNF
 Ilie Alexandru CORNESCHIROUDNF
 Melikhaya FRANSRSADNF
 Felicien MUHITIRARWADNF
 Khadar Basheer YOUSSUFSOMDNF
 Simon TESFAYSUIDNF
 Alphonce Felix SIMBUTANDNF
 Kaan Kigen ÖZBILENTURDNF
 Andrew Rotich KWEMOIUGADNF
 Elkanah KIBETUSADNF
 Cristhian ZAMORAURUDNS

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