2019 World Athletics Championships – Women's marathon

The International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF, now World Athletics) announced the qualifying criteria for the 2019 World Athletics Championships in December 2018. For the women's marathon, the entry standard was 2:37:00, eight minutes quicker than had been required for the 2017 marathon.[1] Alternatively, a top-10 finish at an IAAF Gold Label marathon, or a wild card entry as the reigning world champion would ensure qualification. Entry criteria had to be met during the qualification period: 7 March 2018 to 6 September 2019, inclusive.[2]

Due to the hot conditions in Doha, the World Championships were scheduled in October, rather than the traditional August, and rather than holding the marathon during the day, it started at midnight local time to minimise the impact that the heat would have on the race,[3] making it the first-ever night marathon at the World Championships.[4] Despite these changes, the temperature was expected to be a key factor in the race: temperatures were predicted to be around 30 °C (86 °F), with humidity levels above 80 per cent. In mitigation, the IAAF added extra water stations and medical staff along the route, as well as more ice baths at the finish.[5] The course consisted of six laps of a floodlit roughly 7-kilometre (4.3 mi) course along the Doha Corniche, a waterfront promenade on Doha Bay.[6] The loop started in front of the Amiri Diwan, and stretched to the Sheraton Hotel.[4]

Athletes from Bahrain, Ethiopia and Kenya were considered the favourites to win. Bahrain's Rose Chelimo had won in 2017, but two of her teammates had run quicker in 2019: Desi Mokonin and Shitaye Eshete. Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya held the world-leading time for 2019: 2:17:08 in Dubai in January. Other entrants included Lonah Salpeter of Israel, who had won gold in the 10,000 metres at the 2018 European Championships, and Helalia Johannes of Namibia, who had won the marathon at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in hot conditions.[7] On the day leading up to the race, two of the 70 entrants withdrew: Great Britain's Tish Jones was suffering with a muscle injury in her leg,[8] while Nikolina Šustić of Croatia had suspected food poisoning.[9]

Both the high temperatures, and the tactical nature of World Championship races, meant that it was not expected that any records would be set.[7][10] Paula Radcliffe held the World Championship record of 2:20:57 achieved in 2005, while Mary Keitany held the overall women's world record (in women only races) of 2:17:01, set during the 2017 London Marathon.[11]

The race was officially scheduled to start at 23:59 local time (UTC+3) on 27 September 2019;[12] temperatures were higher than expected, at 32.7 °C (90.9 °F) and 73 per cent humidity.[13] At the start of the race, Sardana Trofimova, a Russian runner cleared by the IAAF to run as an "Authorised Neutral Athlete", led the field.[14] Around 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) into the race, which had 68 starters, a small pack broke away at the front, featuring Chepngetich, Chelimo, Salpeter, Edna Kiplagat, Visiline Jepkesho and Helalia Johannes.[15] Chepngetich attempted to break away at the 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) point, but she was soon caught again. Salpeter dropped back from the group,[15] and fell away to around a minute behind them.[16] By the halfway stage, 16 of the 68 starters had pulled out.[17] Salpeter began closing the gap on the leading group, and was back within eleven seconds when she collapsed and had to withdraw from the race.[16] Some of the athletes dropping out required medical attention: Sara Dossena of Italy needed a wheelchair, while Uganda's Linet Toroitich Chebet had to be taken away by an ambulance. All three of Ethiopia's athletes withdrew: their coach, Haji Adillo Roba, said, "We never would have run a marathon in these conditions in our own country."[15]

The leading group was reduced to four when Jepkesho fell back,[14] and later Chepngetich and Chelimo moved away at the front.[15] At the start of the final lap, Chepngetich was able to break away and opened up a gap to claim the gold medal.[14] Her time of 2:32:43 was the slowest ever winning time at the World Championships. She finished just over a minute ahead of Chelimo, 2:33.46, while Johannes claimed the bronze medal in a time of 2:34.15.[13] Only 40 of the 68 runners finished the race; and there were criticisms from many of the participants. Volha Mazuronak, who finished fifth, said "It's disrespect towards the athletes. A bunch of high-ranked officials gathered and decided that it would take [the World Championships] here but they are sitting in the cool and they are probably sleeping right now." Roberta Groner, who was one place further back, said "The key was to finish and not hurt myself." Lyndsay Tessier had similar sentiments: "It was really scary and intimidating and daunting. I'm just really grateful to have finished standing up."[17]

Later in the day, the IAAF published a statement saying that no athletes had suffered heat stroke as a result of the race, and that the completion rate was similar to that seen in Tokyo in 1991 and Moscow in 2013. In total, they said that "Thirty athletes visited the Medical Centre as a precaution. A small number were kept under observation and one athlete was referred to the hospital for observation but later released."[18]

The final took place on 27 September at 23:59. The results were as follows:[19]

Rank	Name	Nationality	Time	Notes
	Ruth Chepngetich	Kenya (KEN)	2:32:43
	Rose Chelimo	Bahrain (BHR)	2:33:46
	Helalia Johannes	Namibia (NAM)	2:34:15
4	Edna Kiplagat	Kenya (KEN)	2:35:36	SB
5	Volha Mazuronak	Belarus (BLR)	2:36:21
6	Roberta Groner	United States (USA)	2:38:44
7	Mizuki Tanimoto	Japan (JPN)	2:39:09
8	Kim Ji-hyang	North Korea (PRK)	2:41:24
9	Lyndsay Tessier	Canada (CAN)	2:42:03	SB
10	Jo Un-ok	North Korea (PRK)	2:42:23
11	Madoka Nakano	Japan (JPN)	2:42:39
12	Desi Mokonin	Bahrain (BHR)	2:43:19
13	Carrie Dimoff	United States (USA)	2:44:35	SB
14	Ri Kwang-ok	North Korea (PRK)	2:46:16
15	Visiline Jepkesho	Kenya (KEN)	2:46:38
16	Marta Galimany	Spain (ESP)	2:47:45
17	Nastassia Ivanova	Belarus (BLR)	2:48:41
18	Charlotta Fougberg	Sweden (SWE)	2:49:17
19	Anne-Mari Hyryläinen	Finland (FIN)	2:51:26
20	Marcela Joglová	Czech Republic (CZE)	2:52:22
21	Rutendo Nyahora	Zimbabwe (ZIM)	2:52:33
22	Sardana Trofimova	Authorised Neutral Athletes (ANA)	2:52:46
23	Nazret Weldu	Eritrea (ERI)	2:53:45
24	Ma Yugui	China (CHN)	2:55:24
25	Galbadrakhyn Khishigsaikhan	Mongolia (MGL)	2:56:15
26	Alisa Vainio	Finland (FIN)	2:56:30	SB
27	Melanie Myrand	Canada (CAN)	2:57:40
28	Carla Salomé Rocha	Portugal (POR)	2:58:19
29	Gloria Priviletzio	Greece (GRE)	2:58:43
30	Valdilene dos Santos Silva	Brazil (BRA)	2:59:00
31	Manuela Soccol	Belgium (BEL)	2:59:11
32	Sviatlana Kudzelich	Belarus (BLR)	3:00:38
33	Ciren Cuomu	China (CHN)	3:01:56
34	Bayartsogtyn Mönkhzayaa	Mongolia (MGL)	3:02:57
35	Rochelle Rodgers	Australia (AUS)	3:05:12
36	Andreia Hessel	Brazil (BRA)	3:06:13
37	Johanna Bäcklund	Sweden (SWE)	3:08:30
38	Kelsey Bruce	United States (USA)	3:09:37
39	Mayada Al-Sayad	Palestine (PLE)	3:10:30
40	Gabriela Traña	Costa Rica (CRC)	3:19:13
DNF	Elvan Abeylegesse	Turkey (TUR)	DNF
	Ruti Aga	Ethiopia (ETH)
	Bojana Bjeljac	Croatia (CRO)
	Monika Bytautienė	Lithuania (LTU)
	Fadime Çelik	Turkey (TUR)
	Rosa Chacha	Ecuador (ECU)
	Linet Toroitich Chebet	Uganda (UGA)
	Shure Demise	Ethiopia (ETH)
	Roza Dereje	Ethiopia (ETH)
	Sara Dossena	Italy (ITA)
	Giovanna Epis	Italy (ITA)
	Shitaye Eshete	Bahrain (BHR)
	Sasha Gollish	Canada (CAN)
	Dagmara Handzlik	Cyprus (CYP)
	Ayano Ikemitsu	Japan (JPN)
	Sitora Khamidova	Uzbekistan (UZB)
	Mariya Korobitskaya	Kyrgyzstan (KGZ)
	Li Dan	China (CHN)
	Failuna Matanga	Tanzania (TAN)
	Clémentine Mukandanga	Rwanda (RWA)
	Elvanie Nimbona	Burundi (BDI)
	Cecilia Norrbom	Sweden (SWE)
	Matea Parlov Koštro	Croatia (CRO)
	Charlotte Purdue	Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)
	Lonah Salpeter	Israel (ISR)
	Oleksandra Shafar	Ukraine (UKR)
	Hanna Vandenbussche	Belgium (BEL)
	Hiruni Kesara Wijayaratne	Sri Lanka (SRI)
DNS	Tish Jones	Great Britain & N.I. (GBR)	DNS
	Nikolina Šustić	Croatia (CRO)