Olympic Latest: Jepchirchir wins marathon; US's Seidel 3rd

Peres Jepchirchir led a 1-2 Kenyan finish in the women’s marathon, withstanding the heat and humidity while running through the streets of Sapporo

Tokyo Olympics Athletics (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

The Latest on the Tokyo Olympics, which are taking place under heavy restrictions after a year’s delay because of the coronavirus pandemic:

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MEDAL ALERT

Peres Jepchirchir led a 1-2 Kenyan finish in the women’s marathon, withstanding the heat and humidity while running through the streets of Sapporo

Jepchirchir finished in a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 20 seconds in a race moved up an hour to avoid the heat. A smattering of fans lining the course applauded as the Tokyo Games moved north for the marathons and race walks. Her teammate Brigid Kosgei was second and American Molly Seidel, a relative newcomer to the marathon stage, took home the bronze.

A race that was moved to Sapporo to avoid the extreme heat in Tokyo found little relief on a winding course through the city. The starter’s gun went off a minute after 6 a.m. local time under sunny skies and with a temperature reading of 77 degrees Fahrenheit (25 Celsius). It climbed to nearly 86 degrees (30) near the finish, with a humidity of around 65%.

There were 88 runners entered in the field, with more than a dozen recording a did not finish. That included world champion Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya.

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The women’s marathon started along the streets of the northern city of Sapporo just after 6 a.m. local time under sunny skies and with a temperature reading of 77 Fahrenheit (25 Celsius).

There were around 90 runners embarking on what was expected to be a hot trip through the streets of Sapporo. The time of the start was moved up an hour to avoid some of the heat. Spectators were asked not to attend, but some showed up to sneak a glimpse of the action.

Athletes were expected to stay cool any way possible. Before the race, they could use cooling ice vests. On the course, there were plenty of water stations and crushed ice, along with towels soaked in cold water.

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