SYDNEY MARATHON: Simbu’s brave run ends fourth
AUSTRALIA: TANZANIA’S Alphonce Simbu produced a stunning 2:04:57 at the Sydney Marathon yesterday but was cruelly denied a podium spot after finishing fourth by the smallest of margins. The reigning world champion crossed the line in the same time…
AUSTRALIA: TANZANIA’S Alphonce Simbu produced a stunning 2:04:57 at the Sydney Marathon yesterday but was cruelly denied a podium spot after finishing fourth by the smallest of margins.
The reigning world champion crossed the line in the same time as Lesotho’s Tebello Ramakongoana, who took third, with the official results separating the pair by fractions of a second.
From the start, Simbu led the race, taking the lead in the first 5 km in 14:31 and reaching the halfway mark in 1:02:29, maintaining an average pace of about 2:57 per kilometre.
He remained competitive throughout the race, moving from fourth at 5km to second at 10km and staying within the leading group through 25km. Although his position fluctuated later, his pace remained remarkably steady at around 2:57 to 2:58 per kilometre.
His strongest response came in the closing stages. After reaching 30km in 1:28:58, he covered the next 5km in 15:11 before accelerating to 14:31 for the 35 to 40km stretch. He then ran the final 2.195km in 6:18, equivalent to roughly 2:52 per kilometre.
Simbu’s final time of 2:04:57 therefore reflected a disciplined and powerful performance rather than a late fade. He finished averaging about 2:57 per kilometre and was still accelerating towards the line, only to miss the podium by fractions of a second.
Ethiopia’s Addisu Gobena won in a course-record 2:04:42, finishing three seconds ahead of compatriot Chimdessa Debele, who clocked 2:04:46. Ramakongoana and Simbu both finished in 2:04:57.
The quality of Simbu’s run was underlined by the fact that the first seven men all finished inside the previous Sydney course record of 2:06:06. Simbu had remained firmly in contention as the elite field passed 40 kilometres, with seven runners still together and running at record pace.
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Only in the closing stages did the group finally break apart, leaving the Tanzanian to fight for the final podium position. But despite missing out on a medal, Simbu left Sydney with another statement performance on the world stage.
The Tanzanian, who became the country’s first athletics world champion last year, had been among the leading contenders before the race. After crossing the finish line, Simbu took to social media to express his disappointment while thanking those who had supported him.
“Seconds from the podium. 2:04:57. I gave everything I had. Fourth place; decided by fractions of a second,” he wrote.
He then turned his attention to the future. “To everyone who prayed, believed and stood with me from around the world, thank you. I’ll be back. Stronger.”
