Australia's Gold Coast Marathon is back for its 45th running with title sponsorship from longtime partner ASICS. Two-time winner Rodah Tanui is the top name in the women's race with a 2:23:14 in Copenhagen two years ago, with her strongest competition coming from Olympian Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh, who set a Mongolian NR of 2:26:32 in Tokyo last year. Zerihun Alemtsehay and Caroline Kilel both have recent sub-2:30 times, and debuting Ethiopian Tegest Ayalew looks to have a sub-2:30 in her too. Pacing is planned to be a 1:12:00 first half, an ambitious goal for pretty much everyone except maybe Tanui.
Up front in the men's race are a solid trio of 2:07 runners made up of Ethiopians Gizealew Ayana and Japan-based Derese Workneh, and Kenyan Mathew Samperu. The top tier of Japanese men come in at the 2:08 level, including Mizuki Higashi, Yuki Takei, and Ryoma Takeuchi, a pacer at Gold Coast last year. Past winner Yuki Kawauchi has only run under 2:20 once in 2024 and 2025, a 2:18:16 on the aided Vancouver course this year, and isn't likely to be a factor. More interesting are the debuting Yuto Imae and Tatsuya Tsunashima, both good half marathoners, and former Hakone Ekiden darling Aoi Ota taking another stab at the distance after going through halfway in Tokyo in a PB 1:01:19 in his debut before dropping out near 35 km. Pacing is scheduled to go on track to break the 2:07:40 CR.
The ASICS Gold Coast Marathon starts at 6:15 a.m. local time on July 6. Live streaming will be on Youtube. JRN will be on-site as usual, with Brett Larner doing a guest commentary spot on the streaming again this year.
45th ASICS Gold Coast Marathon
Elite Field Highlights
Gold Coast, Australia, 6 July 2025
times listed are athletes' best in last 3 years except where noted
Women
Rodah Tanui (Kenya) - 2:23:14 (Copenhagen 2023)
Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh (Mongolia) - 2:26:32 (Tokyo 2024)
Zerihun Alemtsehay (Ethiopia) - 2:27:39 (Paris 2025)
Caroline Kilel (Kenya) - 2:28:34 (Wuhan 2024)
Rebecca Chesir (Kenya) - 2:30:16 (Chengdu 2023)
Odekta Elvina Naibaho (Indonesia) - 2:34:05 (Daegu 2024)
Natsuki Ogawa (Japan/Suzuki) - 2:36:42 (Kobe 2024)
Milly Clark (Australia) - 2:36:45 (Gold Coast 2024)
Riine Ringi (Estonia) - 2:36:51 (Gold Coast 2024)
Ella McCartney (Australia) - 2:38:43 (Gold Coast 2023)
Sarah Short (Australia) - 2:39:51 (Valencia 2023)
Kit Ching Yiu (Hong Kong) - 2:41:09 (Hong Kong 2024)
Tegest Ayalew (Ethiopia) - debut - 1:08:06 (Warsaw Half 2023)
Men
Gizealew Ayana (Ethiopia) - 2:07:15 (Paris 2023)
Mathew Samperu (Kenya) - 2:07:25 (Seville 2025)
Yuki Kawauchi (Japan/ANDS) - 2:07:35 (Osaka 2023)
Derese Workneh (Ethiopia/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:07:46 (Beppu-Oita 2025)
Mizuki Higashi (Japan/Aisan Kogyo) - 2:08:03 (Osaka 2024)
Yuki Takei (Japan/JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:08:06 (Osaka 2025)
Ryoma Takeuchi (Japan/ND Software) - 2:08:40 (Hofu 2023)
Olonbayar Jamsran (Mongolia) - 2:08:58 (Osaka 2023)
Ryuichi Hashimoto (Japan/Press Kogyo) - 2:09:40 (Osaka 2025)
Ser-Od Bat-Ochir (Mongolia/Shin Nihon Jusetsu) - 2:10:10 (Osaka 2024)
Ryoma Inoue (Japan/Chudenko) - 2:10:32 (Nobeoka 2025)
Thomas Broatch (Canada) - 2:10:35 (Houston 2025)
Fikade Debele (Ethiopia) - 2:10:49 (Buri Ram 2023)
Josh Izewski (U.S.A.) - 2:10:54 (Houston 2025)
Athanas Kioko (Kenya) - 2:10:56 (Los Angeles 2025)
Akihiro Kaneko (Japan/Comodi Iida) - 2:10:59 (Gold Coast 2024)
Vincent Kiprono (Kenya) - 2:11:49 (Hong Kong 2025)
Wataru Tochigi (Japan/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:12:28 (Tokyo 2025)
Yudai Fukuda (Japan) - 2:13:57 (Boston 2025)
Reece Edwards (Australia) - 2:14:34 (Melbourne 2023)
Jake Barraclough (Great Britain)- 2:14:55 (Tokyo 2025)
Aoi Ota (Japan/GMO) - DNF, Tokyo 2025, 1:01:19 at halfway
Yuto Imae (Japan/GMO) - debut - 1:00:33 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2023)
Tatsuya Tsunashima (Japan/YKK) - debut - 1:01:16 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2025)
Tsubasa Ichiyama (Japan/Sunbelx) - pacer - 2:06:00 (Tokyo 2025)
Masato Arao (Japan/ND Software) - pacer - 2:08:05 (Tokyo 2025)
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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