Three Japanese Men Running 128th Boston Marathon

Back in Japan's golden years Boston was a big draw for its top talent in the marathon, but for a long time it was off the list of first-choice marathons as the preoccupation shifted to times. That started changing again in 2017 when 5000 m NR holder Suguru Osako made his debut there with a 2:10:28 for 3rd, following in the footsteps of other Waseda University alum who ran well in Boston including two-time winner Toshihiko Seko and the late Tomoyuki Taniguchi.

Osako was 3rd at October's Paris Olympic marathon trials, putting him in position to be on the Paris team unless someone runs 2:05:50 or better at February's Osaka Marathon or March's Tokyo Marathon. Having run 2:06:13 in Tokyo last year but beaten by two Japanese men who both went under 2:06, there wasn't really any upside to Osako doing Tokyo this time. Osaka seemed like the logical choice, but like he has for most of his life Osako is following his own motivations and opting to return to the 128th Boston Marathon presented by Bank of America. Given the chances of another Japanese man hitting 2:05:50 and the makeup of the Paris Olympic marathon course, it's a good choice.

In Boston he'll be joined by Kento Otsu, a member of the legendary 2012 Toyo University team that broke the 3:00/km barrier for the full Hakone Ekiden course. After Toyo Otsu was coached by Barcelona Olympics marathon silver medalist Koichi Morishita, under whose guidance he ran his 2:08:15 PB at the 2021 Lake Biwa Mainichi Marathon. Having run the United Airlines NYC Half twice, Boston will be Otsu's U.S. marathon debut.

Also in Boston is Ryoma Takeuchi, fresh off a 2:08:40 PB for 3rd at December's Hofu Yomiuri Marathon. A training partner of half marathon great Alexander Mutiso at the ND Software corporate team, Takeuchi is running his third Abbott World Marathon Majors, having run 2:12:26 at the 2019 Chicago Marathon and 2:14:35 at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon.

128th Boston Marathon Elite Men's Field

Boston, MA, U.S.A., 15 April 2024

times listed are athletes' best in last 3 years

Sisay Lemma (Ethiopia) - 2:01:48 (Valencia 2023)

Gabriel Geay (Tanzania) - 2:03:00 (Valencia 2022)

Joshua Belet (Kenya) - 2:04:18 (Amsterdam 2023)

Ronald Korir (Kenya) - 2:04:22 (Berlin 2023)

Cyprian Kotut (Kenya) - 2:04:34 (Amsterdam 2023)

Haftu Teklu (Ethiopia) - 2:04:43 (Berlin 2023)

John Korir (Kenya) - 2:05:01 (Chicago 2022)

Mohamed Esa (Ethiopia) - 2:05:05 (Amsterdam 2022)

Evans Chebet (Kenya) - 2:05:43 (London 2021)

Shura Kitata (Ethiopia) - 2:06:12 (Tokyo 2022)

Suguru Osako (Japan) - 2:06:13 (Tokyo 2023)

Filmon Ande (Eritrea) - 2:06:38 (Barcelona 2021)

Zouhair Talbi (Morocco) - 2:06:39 (Houston 2024)

Isaac Mpofu (Zimbabwe) - 2:06:48 (Valencia 2022)

Albert Korir (Kenya) - 2:06:57 (New York 2023)

Sondre Nordstad Moen (Norway) - 2:07:16 (Fukuoka Int'l 2023)

Kento Otsu (Japan) - 2:08:15 (Lake Biwa 2021)

Ryoma Takeuchi (Japan) - 2:08:40 (Hofu 2023)

Segundo Jami (Ecuador) - 2:09:05 (Valencia 2023)

Matt McDonald (U.S.A.) - 2:09:49 (Chicago 2022)

Tristan Woodfine (Canada) - 2:10:39 (Houston 2024)

CJ Albertson (U.S.A.) - 2:10:52 (Grandma's 2022)

Chris Thompson (Great Britain) - 2:10:52 (London 2021)

Tsegay Tuemay (Eritrea) - 2:11:04 (McKirdy Micro 2023)

Edward Cheserek (Kenya) - 2:11:07 (New York 2023)

Nick Hauger (U.S.A.) - 2:12:59 (Sacramento 2021)

Will Nation (U.S.A.) - 2:13:24 (Sacramento 2021)

Alexandru Corneschi (Romania) - 2:13:39 (Berlin 2022)

David Nilsson (Sweden) - 2:14:33 (Stockholm 2021)

Robert Miranda (U.S.A.) - 2:14:43 (Sacramento 2023)

Patrick Smyth (U.S.A.) - 2:14:49 (Grandma's 2023)

Yemane Haileselassie (Eritrea) - debut - 1:01:34 (Houston Half 2024)

2026 Tokyo Marathon Elite Field

The Mar. 1 Tokyo Marathon has great fields this year, so let's get right to it. The women's field has 3 of last year's top 10, winner for the 2nd year in a row and Tokyo CR holder Sutume Asefa Kebede , 3rd-placer and 2025 Chicago winner Hawi Feysa , and 5th-placer and 2025 Berlin winner Rosemary Wanjiru , plus 2024 Valencia winner Megertu Alemu , 2025 Prague winner Bertukan Welde , 2024 Paris winner Mestawut Fikir , 2024 Osaka winner Waganesh Mekasha , former WR holder Brigid Kosgei , and a lot more. Japanese hopes pretty much go to all-time #7 Ai Hosoda , 2:20:31 in Berlin 2024 but who announced this month that she is retiring after Tokyo despite having qualified for the 2028 Olympic marathon trials with her 2:23:27 for 6th in Sydney last year. Other internationals include Canadian Malindi Elmore , American Sara Hall , a big Chinese group led by Yuyu Xia , Poland's Aleksandra Brzezińska and Australian Vanessa Wilson . The men's race has 5 of last year's top 1...

Measuring Marathon Courses by Bicycle

http://news.searchina.ne.jp/disp.cgi?y=2013&d=0110&f=column_0110_034.shtml translated by Brett Larner The full marathon is a sport where you compete over 42.195 km, but how do they go about measuring that distance? Today we're going to look a little bit at how they go about certifying the distance of a marathon. The reality is that major international marathons use a bicycle to measure the distance. This rule is an international standard, and the same method of measurement is used everywhere. It was put into place in 1986. In order to ensure that the same method is used everywhere, a bicycle that meets IAAF specifications must be used for measurement. In the case of Japan's major marathons, to be certain that the distance is correct a provisional measurement is first made. Before the course is certified using a bicycle the course is measured using a 50 m-long length of wire to determine that it is in fact 42.195 km. When a bicycle is u...

Ai Hosoda Announces Retirement

photo © 2025 Victah Sailer/Photo Run, all rights reserved On Jan. 8 the Edion women's corporate team announced that Ai Hosoda , 30, will retire at the end of March this year. The Tokyo Marathon will be her last race. At Nagano Higashi H.S. Hosoda ran in the National High School Ekiden her 2nd and 3rd years. During her 3rd year at Nittai University she won both the 5000 m and 10000 m at the Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships, going on to win the bronze medal in the 10000 m at the World University Games in her 4th year at Nittai. After graduating she joined the Daihatsu corporate team, debuting at the 2019 Nagoya Women's Marathon in 2:29:27. 2 years later she transferred to Edion. She qualified for the Paris Olympics marathon trials at the 2022 Nagoya Women's Marathon and finished 3rd in the trials in the fall of 2023, but was later bumped down to Olympic alternate after another athlete ran a faster time. Instead of the Olympics, Hosoda ran the 2024 Ber...

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