Kilkenny pride as Peter Lynch delivers strong performance at World Championships

A strong finish saw Peter Lynch finished 24th in the Men’s Marathon at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan in the early hours of Monday morning.

The Kilkenny City Harriers athlete got day three up and running for Team Ireland when he ran a well measured race to cross the line in a time of 2:14:12 in his debut on this stage, despite the heat and humidity. The 27-year-old went through 10k in 61st position and was 55th at the halfway stage (1:07:03).

Lynch began to move up through the field in the second half, moving up to 40th through 30km and continued to pick off other athletes as the finish line drew near. Entering the Japan National Stadium, Lynch’s finishing position was cemented, and he was able to enjoy the closing 300m, despite suffering tightness in his hamstring.

"It was tough but that’s how we knew it was going to be," Lynch told Athletics Ireland after the race. "Today was all about running my own race and getting the best out of myself. I wanted to beat as many bodies as possible.

"I had a time in mind, around 2:14, with the temperature and having seen how the women’s race went yesterday. That was the aim. My coach "Alistair Cragg) told me not to be worried if I was well back at the start, lads will blow up left, right and centre. I held myself together really well."

The World Championships capped what has been a memorable 2025 for Lynch. He set the Irish record for the 10 mile in Washington, before breaking the national marathon record when he ran 2:09:36 in Düsseldorf, Germany.