Titus Kipruto aiming for gold in his second appearance in Tokyo Marathon
Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 29.01.25. | 21:10
The 27-year-old recently ran at the Shanghai Marathon in December, finishing second in a time of 2:06:30
2022 Milano Marathon champion Titus Kipruto is hoping to use his gained experience over the years to finally get over the hump at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon set for Sunday 2 March.
Kipruto, who has a personal best of 2:04:54, comes into a studded marathon lineup that features six sub 2:04 athletes, including the defending champion and Olympic Games bronze medalist Benson Kipruto, who stands as the pre-race favourite.
Other high-profile athletes in the race include: world record holder for the 5000 and 10000m Joshua Cheptegei, last year’s bronze medalist Vincent Ng’etich, World bronze medalist Leul Gebresilase, and two-time Tokyo marathon champion Birhanu Legese.
But despite the strong opposition, Kipruto, a second-place finisher in the 2022 Mozzart Bet-powered Re-Discover Nandi Road race, believes the scar-tissue from his previous appearance in Tokyo will take him over the line.
“I ran a good race in 2023 but lacked the experience to outsmart the three Ethiopian opponents,” Kipruto told SportsBoom, reflecting on his fourth-place finish in 2023. “Since then, I have gained the experience and exposure to run at the big stages.”
On his preparations to walk the talk, Kipruto added: “I am preparing for nothing but victory as it is my desire to start the year with a gold medal.”
To signify intent, the 27-year-old said he had not broken camp since running his latest marathon - a second-placed finish at the Shanghai Marathon in December 2024.
“I am in good shape as I did not break for the holidays,” Kipruto said. “I feel I am in rhythm and ready to compete.
“The challenge between now and March is to balance the training well, so it doesn't suck the energy out of me ahead of the race.”
