Coming through the half marathon in 1:05:10, the lead pack stayed formed until around the 30K mark with still about 13 with that group. Over the next 5K, contenders began to fall off the pace, first a pack of six were left, with two Ugandans; reigning Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich and Jackson Kiprop, with three Ethiopians; Lelisa Desisa, Tadese Tola and Tsegaye Kebede and Peter Kimeli Some the lone Kenyan. Kiprop fell back but Kentaro Nakamoto fought his way back to the pack as Kiprotich began experimenting with surges. Some and then Nakamoto started to fall behind. Kebede was next to go, followed by Tola, but Desisa stuck to Kiprotich like glue. Kiprotich crossed the roadway from side to side, more like match racesailboattacking maneuvers and Delisa followed. Finally in the last kilometer, Kiprotich was able to make a gap. A meter became ten then fifty. A jubilant Kiprotich began throwing kisses to the crowd, crossing the finish line more than a hundred meters ahead of Delisa. Tola held on for third, with Kebede barely ahead of Nakamoto. Solonei da Silva and Paulo Roberto Paula came in together, so with four Ethiopians, two Ugandans and two Brazilians, three countries put at least a pair of runners into the top ten, while Kenya only managed one; Some in ninth.