MARATHONS almost NEVER go down to a photo finish.
But that’s exactly what happened in the marathon final of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Shutterstock EditorialThe World Athletics Championships’ marathon final in Tokyo went down to a sprint finish between Alphonce Simbu and Amanal Petros[/caption]
SHUTTERSTOCKTanzania’s Alphonce Simbu produced an incredible sprint to pip Germany’s Amanal Petros to first place[/caption]
SHUTTERSTOCKHe crossed the line 0.03 seconds before his rival[/caption]
The winner was decided by a matter of millimetres
Tanzania’s Alphonce Simbu and Germany’s Amanal Petros were two of the top contenders going into the race.
And it soon became apparent why as the gruelling 26.2-mile race got underway.
Petros established a healthy lead and maintained it until the closing stages.
He looked a dead cert to cross the finish line first, but Simbu had other ideas.
The Tanzanian, somehow, mustered up all his remaining energy for a final sprint straight out of a Hollywood movie.
Petros took a tumble as he crossed the line, but Simbu, who cut a confident figure, managed to stay upright.
Upon first viewing, it seemed that both men had crossed the line at exactly the same time.
Attention immediately turned to Seiko’s photo-finish machine, which discerned that Simbu had pipped Petros to victory by 0.03 seconds.
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GettyAmanal Petros was left in a heap after falling across the finish line[/caption]
That was a smaller gap than in both the men’s and women’s 100m finals.
Both men, sensationally, finished with the same time, 2:09:48.
Footage of the race’s final moments spread like wildfire on social media.
Athletics fans around the world were quick to comment, with one saying: “This is the most insane finish to a marathon you’ll ever see.”
Another said: “Talk about squeezing out everything you have left!”
And another said: “Incredible.”
One remarked: “He lost it as soon as he looked back.”
Another chimed in: “Mind-boggling. “
Recalling the incredible finish, Simbu said: “I told myself I was not going to give up.
“When we entered the stadium, I was not sure if I would win. I did not know if I won. B
“But when I saw the video screens and me on the top of the results, I felt relieved.”
Petros said: “I have never seen something like this in a marathon,” he said. “It’s like the 100 metres.
“Coming into the finish, I was thinking about winning so a bit of me is feeling very sad. But I have to accept it.
“As an athlete, you have to learn for tomorrow, train hard, keep going and be thankful for the silver.”
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