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)

Chepkirui Over Sato Again to Win 2nd-Straight Nagoya Women's Marathon, Chen Breaks Malaysian NR (updated)

This year's Nagoya Women's Marathon felt like a changing of the guard, with some the bigger domestic names over the last few years fading early and a lot of newer faces stepping up with quality debuts or second marathons. The front group was set to be paced for 2:20 flat with the 2nd group at 2:23:30 to hit the auto-qualifying time for the 2027 MGC Race, Japan's L.A. Olympics marathon trials race in Nagoya. Up front things went out OK, but after a 33:10 split at 10 km Ayuko Suzuki , 2:21:22 here 2 years ago, lost touch, ultimately finishing 23rd in 2:33:28. Windy conditions started to play with pacers' ability to keep things steady and the pace slowed majorly over the next 10 km, but even with a 34:05 second 10 km there were big-name casualties. 2024 Nagoya winner Yuka Ando was next to drop, ending up 17th in 2:30:32. NR holder Honami Maeda was next, followed quickly by Bahraini Kenyan Eunice Chumba and debuting Wakana Kabasawa . Maeda faded to 21st in 2:31:21, whil...

Nagoya Women's Marathon Preview and Streaming (updated)

Japan's winter marathon season of 6 major races in 7-straight weekends wraps up Sunday with the world's largest women-only marathon, the Nagoya Women's Marathon . The weather is looking pretty good, 6˚ at the start rising to 10˚ by the finish and sunny skies, but a moderate 7 m/s NW wind means a headwind finish that might impact the potential for some fast times. Official streaming kicks off at 9:00 a.m. local time. Live results will be here . Sheila Chepkirui won last year in 2:20:40, breaking away from Sayaka Sato and Eunice Chebichii Chumba at 30 km and hanging on for the win. Sato negative split a 2:20:59 PB for 2nd, Chumba fading to 3rd in 2:21:36. All 3 are back this time, but they have pretty serious competition from Aynalem Desta , 2:17:37 in Amsterdam last fall, and Selly Chepyego Kaptich , 2:20:03 in Barcelona 2023. And of course, Japanese NR holder Honami Maeda . Maeda ran 2:18:59 at the Osaka International Women's Marathon in 2024 to make the Paris Oly...

How it Happened

Ancient History I went to Wesleyan University, where the legend of four-time Boston Marathon champ and Wes alum Bill Rodgers hung heavy over the cross-country team. Inspired by Koichi Morishita and Young-Cho Hwang’s duel at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics I ran my first marathon in 1993, qualifying for Boston ’94 where Bill was kind enough to sign a star-struck 20-year-old me’s bib number at the expo. Three years later I moved to Japan for grad school, and through a long string of coincidences I came across a teenaged kid named Yuki Kawauchi down at my neighborhood track. I never imagined he’d become what he is, but right from the start there was just something different about him. After his 2:08:37 breakthrough at the 2011 Tokyo Marathon he called me up and asked me to help him get into races abroad. He’d finished 3rd on the brutal downhill Sixth Stage at the Hakone Ekiden, and given how he’d run the hills in the last 6 km at Tokyo ’11 I thought he’d do well at Boston or New York. “I...

japan running news

Search This Blog