Chinese runner Zhang Deshun sets personal best at Tokyo Marathon

TOKYO, March 2 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Tadese Takele and Sutume Asefa Kebede won the men's and women's races respectively, while Chinese runner Zhang Deshun set her personal best at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon on Sunday.

Ethiopian runners Takele and Deresa Geleta secured the men's top two spots, finishing in 2:03:23 and 2:03:51, respectively, while Kenya's Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich finished third. In the women's race, Kebede retained her title with a time of 2:16:31.

This year's event featured top Chinese marathoners. 29-year-old Zhang clocked 2:20:53 to finish ninth in the women's race, not only shattering her previous personal best of 2:24:05, but also securing her qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

He Jie clocked 2:07:20 to finish 16th in the men's race, marking his career second-best performance after setting China's national record at the Wuxi Marathon last year. Yang Shaohui placed 24th with a time of 2:09:34, while Wu Xiangdong finished 50th in 2:14:44.

In the wheelchair race, Chinese athletes Luo Xingchuan and Zhang Ying secured second and third places in the men's division, while Zhou Zhaoqian clinched bronze in the women's race.

The 2025 Tokyo Marathon featured 38,000 participants in total, according to the event organizers.