Athletics-Simbu snatches marathon gold from Petros at the line

Tanzania's Alphonse Felix Simbu won the marathon at the World Athletics Championships by the smallest of margins on Monday, edging out German Amanal Petros in a dramatic race to the line.

Hitting the tape in two hours, 9 minutes and 48 seconds, Simbu struck back for East African distance running the morning after Frenchman Jimmy Gressier had become the first man born outside the region to win the 10,000-km title for more than 40 years.

Petros was awarded the same time to earn a silver while Italian Illias Aouani took the bronze in 2:09.53.