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Kiplangat, who is only 23 years old, added the world championship title to his already impressive résumé that includes Commonwealth gold.
Budapest was treated to a masterclass in long-distance running as Uganda's Victor Kiplangat clinched gold in the men's marathon at the 2023 World Athletics Championships on Sunday morning.
Kiplangat, who is only 23 years old, added the world championship title to his already impressive résumé that includes Commonwealth gold.
In the final stretch, Kiplangat had enough of a cushion to not just cross the finishing line but to savour the moment.
As Kiplangat closed on victory, with the finish line in sight and the Ugandan flag in hand, he had time to point to the crowd as he savoured his latest achievement.
He eventually stopped the clock at an impressive 2:08.53.
The men's marathon featured a challenging 10km loop course that meandered through some of Budapest's most beautiful UNESCO World Heritage areas.
It was an experienced field of runners that Kiplangat left in his wake, including the likes of 2022 World Champion Tamirat Tola from Ethiopia.
Interestingly, the marathon's early stages were dominated by Mongolian veteran Ser-od Bat-Ochir, who led through the first 5km in 14:59.
Bat-Ochir was contesting his 11th successive World Championships marathon.
However, he could not sustain the pace, and a chase group featuring Tamirat Tola and others slowly clawed back the time.
Uganda's Andrew Rotich Kwemoi was also among the frontrunners at the halfway mark, led by Rwanda's John Hakizimana.
Kiplangat and Stephen Kissa took charge around the 30km mark, clocking 1:32:14.
By the 35km point, it was clear that Kiplangat and Ethiopia's Leul Gebresilase were the men to beat, crossing that mark in 1:46:53.
However, it was Kiplangat who managed to turn the screws when it mattered the most, dropping Gebresilase from the 38km mark and effectively running a lone race thereafter.
By the time he reached the 40km mark, Kiplangat had already built a 13-second lead over a chasing Gebresilase, registering a time of 2:01:52.
At that point, Gebresilase who was under attack from Israel's Maru Teferi who had punched in a strong second half of the marathon.
Teferi eventually clinched the silver medal, overtaking l Gebresilase in the final stages of the race to finish in 2:09:12.
Gebresilase held on for bronze with a time of 2:09:19. Remarkably, Stephen Kissa, who had taken a fall midway through the race, demonstrated immense resilience by finishing fifth.
His ability to bounce back and secure a respectable position highlighted the depth of talent and tenacity within the Ugandan team.
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