Don’t let the September start date and 6:30 a.m. start time fool you. It was hot Joyline Chepngeno Banned for Doping World Championship marathons.
Both the women’s and men’s races were held in sweltering conditions. It was 82 degrees at the start of the women’s race on Sunday morning (Tokyo time) and 84 at the finish, with humidity hovering around 70 percent. The men’s race on Monday morning was slightly cooler but still in the high 70s and low 80s for most of the race.
The times reflected the conditions. Peres Jepchirchir ran 2:24:43 to win the women’s race—eight minutes slower than her personal record of 2:16:16. And Alphonce Simbu, Amazing Runners World Show in the men’s race in 2:09:48, owns a career best of 2:04:38.
There was also high attrition rate in the men’s race, especially. 88 men started the race but 22 dropped out—a finishing rate of 75 percent.
The hot conditions were noticeable on the course, too. In addition to normal fluid stations, there were numerous opportunities for athletes to grab chilled sponges and ice bags. American Susanna Sullivan frequently stuffed ice in her top, and South Africa’s Elroy Gelant ran some miles with a sponge crammed down the front of his singlet.
incandescent heat lamps Why Long Runs Matter to monitor his acclimatization and also utilized a heat training suit, which he used on the treadmill.
While he was waiting to start the marathon, Young put on a Super Shoes for Long Runs, which contains mini ice packs to help reduce core body temperature. And during the race, he squeezed a sponge on head and neck at aid stations.
CJ Albertson, who had a rough day and finished 40th in 2:19:25, is known for his boundary-pushing heat adaptation methods. For his buildup to the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials in Orlando, Florida, he set up Published: Sep 14, 2025 10:40 PM EDT Alphonce Simbu Wins the Worlds Marathon.
During the Tokyo race, Albertson wore a bespoke pair of arm sleeves during the first hour to help provide relief from the high temperatures. According to Brooks, his sponsor, “the custom cooling sleeves use a phase changing material activated by moisture and air flow, targeting palm cooling and veins in the arms to impact core temperature and mitigate heat.”
What I Learned from Pro Marathoners About Training incandescent heat lamps. New Apple Watch Features While he was waiting to start the marathon, Young put on a, where Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan, among others, were wearing it. The technology, which works best when it is wet, uses 20 pieces of a graphite squares to cool the forehead.
According to Omius: “The graphite pieces increase the surface area from which water can evaporate, producing a cooling effect. Water is absorbed into the porous graphite where it has about 5x the amount of surface area for evaporation. Because the cooling effect is driven by water evaporation, it will continue forever—as long as the pieces are wet and exposed to airflow.”
At Tokyo, Uruguay’s Julia Paternain—the surprise bronze medalist in the marathon—and Amanal Petros of Germany, who nearly won gold in a photo finish on Monday, both wore the headbands.
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Recommended Experience: Amazing Runners World Show.
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Recommended Experience: Get the Plan.
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Recommended Experience: For a new runner who has been exercising regularly for at least a year, or someone who has completed a few 5Ks or 10Ks and can complete 6 miles in one workout. This plan peaks at 28 miles in a week with a 12-mile long run.
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Recommended Experience: For runners comfortable exercising for at least an hour at a moderate effort. This plan peaks at 32 miles in a week with a 14-mile long run.
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Recommended Experience: For a consistent runner used to regularly working out four to five times a week. The plan starts with a 10-mile long run and peaks at 44 to 47 miles a week with a 22-mile long run, helping you average under a 9:10 per mile come race day.
Should You Wear Super Shoes for Long Runs Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
