Simbu wins Tokyo World Championships marathon by 0.03 seconds over Petros

Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania edged Germany's Amanal Petros in a photo finish to win the men's marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo on Monday, completing the 42.195 kilometer course in 2:09:48. Both men were officially credited with the same time, but the photo finish awarded Simbu the victory by what the official results listed as 0.03 seconds, though some reports described the margin as even smaller. Italy's Iliass Aouani took bronze in 2:09:53.

The race produced one of the most dramatic conclusions in world championship history after more than two hours of running through sweltering conditions. A field that started with roughly 86 to 88 runners from about 47 nations was thinned by the heat and attrition, with about 22 athletes failing to finish, according to race summaries. Temperatures hovered around 81 degrees Fahrenheit with high humidity, and the leading group repeatedly reshaped as the pace rose.

The marathon got off to an unusual start when Kenya's Vincent Ngetich false started and the field was recalled within the first 100 meters. On the second attempt the race began without incident, and Ngetich led much of the early running before fading to...