At the Women’s Marathon at the 2025 World Championships, Kenya’s Peres Jepchirchir sprinted to glory in a nail-biting finish, clinching gold and ensuring her nation’s flag flew highest. In a thrilling duel with Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, chaos unfolded on the final stretch after 42 grueling kilometers under Tokyo’s heat. Shoulder-to-shoulder inside Japan’s National Stadium, Assefa surged ahead briefly on the back straight. Still, Jepchirchir unleashed a blistering kick in the last 100 meters, sealing victory in 2:24:43, just two seconds clear. While the moment was sensational, controversy followed as the Olympic champion returned home in economy class. After days of uproar, Kenyan officials finally broke the silence with a public statement.
Outrage erupted after a video surfaced on social media showing reigning World Champion Peres Jepchirchir squeezed into an economy seat on her flight home from Tokyo. In today’s Gen-Z era, upsetting the youth is risky business. Bowing to mounting pressure, the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy, and Sports rolled out a major shift in athlete travel policy. Evans Achoki, Secretary for Administration at the State Department for Sports, confirmed the revamped arrangements. “The travel arrangements have been made, and we intend to fly all the medalists in business class so that they can be rewarded for their good performance. We believe this will motivate them to work harder.”
So, what happened? The clip captured air hostesses showering her with hero-like treatment for her achievement. They surprised her with a mini cake, a glass of juice, and heartfelt words of admiration for her golden triumph. “We are very honoured to have you. You have done a fantastic job getting a gold medal for the marathon. Thank you so much,” one crew member said warmly, sparking cheers and applause. “God bless you and may all your dreams come true. May you keep getting more medals for your country.”
It was a heartfelt moment, but the fans quickly noticed the glaring detail: her economy-class ticket. What seemed like a sweet moment soon turned sour, as supporters lashed out at the Kenyan administration for what they saw as blatant disrespect toward their national heroes. Well, it took a good bashing for the Kenyan administrations to act. Let’s have a look at what Jepchirchir thought after winning the race.
“I really did not expect to win,” said Peres Jepchirchir after clinching the gold
In a neck-and-neck battle against Ethiopia’s Tigist Assefa, Peres Jepchirchir proved why she stands among the world’s best. Yet, even after crossing the finish line first, she admitted she never truly believed the gold would be hers. “I really did not expect to win. But when I saw I was 100 metres from the finish, I just started to kick. I found some hidden energy,” she said.
It was a déjà vu moment for Tigist Assefa, who earlier this year smashed Jepchirchir’s women-only world record in London with 2:15:50, only to once again taste heartbreak, just as she did at the Paris Olympics last year. While having a conversation with the media, the athlete revealed, “I don’t like to think I lost gold. I had some difficulties in my preparation for Tokyo, taking a long rest after breaking the world record at the London Marathon this year, so I’m just happy I finished the race with the silver medal.”
The race opened with a daring surge from the USA’s Susanna Sullivan, who boldly controlled the first half before the medal contenders closed in. At the end, she placed fourth, clocking a 2:28:17. Well, with a new champion on board, it would be interesting to witness her upcoming journey. What are your thoughts?