Kenya's Peres Jepchirchir produced a lung-busting final 100m sprint to win a dramatic women's marathon at the world championships on Sunday.

In the sole final of the second morning session at the National Stadium in Japan, Jepchirchir edged Ethiopa's Tigst Assefa for gold by just two seconds after an epic tussle.

The pair were neck-and-neck coming into the final kilometre of a gruelling marathon run in hot and humid weather.

Former world record holder Assefa chanced her arm as she bolted down the back straight.

Jepchirchir covers pace

But Jepchirchir dug deep to battle back past her stuttering Ethiopian rival for a breathless gold.

Jepchirchir, Olympic champion at the same venue in the Covid-delayed 2021 Olympics, timed 2hr 24min 43sec for victory.

"It was not my ultimate plan to sprint in the final metres, but when I saw I was 100m from the finish, I just started to kick. I found some hidden energy there," Jepchirchir said.

Sunday's evening session is a loaded one, notably with finals in the men and women's 100m.

Lyles versus Tebogo

Defending champion Noah Lyles, who is also Olympic 100m gold medallist, will pit himself against Jamaican Kishane Thompson and Botswanan Letsile Tebogo.

The women's 100m pitches Olympic champion Julien Alfred against in-form American Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.

Retiring veteran Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce of Jamaica and defending champion Sha'Carri Richardson of the United States should be in the mix for a podium finish.

The other finals are the men's 10,000m, and in the long jump and discus for women.

Faith Kipyegon in action

American star Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone also goes in heats for the women's 400m, having opted to race just the one-lap flat rather than the 400m hurdles, in which she is Olympic champion and world record holder.

Kenya's Faith Kipyegon races the semi-finals of the 1,500m, a fourth title in which would draw her equal with Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj's event record.