Uganda’s Harbert Kibet produced a dominant display to win the men’s 5km race at the ASICS Tokyo Speed Race on Saturday, clocking a personal best of 13:00 on a fast loop course near the Japan National Stadium.
The 19-year-old took control of the race early and stretched his lead heading into the final loop, maintaining a strong pace through the closing stages to finish 10 seconds ahead of Djibouti’s Mohamed Ismail.
Ismail’s time of 13:10 marked a new national record for Djibouti.
Kenya’s Samwel Nyamai Mailu placed third in 13:11, while South Africa’s Maxime Chaumeton finished fourth in a national record time of 13:13.
Japan’s Tomoki Ota also set a national mark, running 13:30 to place 10th.
Kibet’s victory on the streets of Tokyo comes as a major boost in his young career and underscores his growing presence in international road racing.
With the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25 set to take place in the same city later this year, his performance serves as a timely statement of intent.
