Takeuchi Scores First Marathon Win at Warsaw Marathon

Fresh off great Japanese performances at the Berlin Marathon and good ones in the Muenster Marathon and Tokyo World Championships, Ryoma Takeuchi came to today's NN Warsaw Marathon to win it. At July's Gold Coast Marathon he was in 2:07 shape but had a series of setbacks including arriving 24 hours later than planned after heavy rain made him miss his flight, and tripping and falling over the edge of a roundabout near 23 km. Despite that he managed a 2-second PB of 2:08:38 for 3rd. But Takeuchi felt that that didn't reflect the training he'd put in, and he opted to try to fit in another marathon before ekiden season got into full swing.

Organizers expected a 2:09:30 race with a lead group of 5-6 up front, but right from the gun Takeuchi was on his own with 2 pacers. Despite excellent weather conditions the pacers struggled to hit the target 3:04/km pace and settled more into a 3:06/km groove, but even that put space between him and the chase group. One lead pacer dropped off after only 15 km, and from there it was up to Mohamud Aadan to keep things moving for Takeuchi.

After going through halfway together in 1:05:41 Aadan went to 30 km with Takeuchi before stepping off. Takeuchi had planned to pick it up on the two corners around 31 km and 32 km in order to negative split over the almost 10-km straightaway to the finish. The plan worked, barely, as he covered the 2nd half in 1:05:40 to take his first-ever marathon win in 2:11:21.

"I came all the way here to win, and when I was all on my own I just stayed focused on making that happen," he said post-race. "It's my first time in Warsaw and the quality of the roads was fantastic, the course beautiful, and the crowd support some of the best I've had. I loved it. It's really an honor to win a race with a long history like the Warsaw Marathon." A training partner of 2024 London Marathon winner Alexander Mutiso and last month's Sydney Marathon 6th-placer Masato Arao, Takeuchi now holds the fastest-ever Japanese time on Polish soil.

There was a lot of turnover in the chase group, but ultimately Israeli Amitai Yonah pulled off a runner-up finish in a 2:15:49 PB almost 4 and a half minutes behind Takeuchi. Thijs Nijhuis of Denmark outran top Polish man Arkadiusz Gardzielewski for 3rd 2:16:46 to 2:17:37.

In just her 2nd marathon Switzerland's Michelle Schaub ran an expertly-paced race to win in a PB of 2:33:41. Over 2:15 behind Poland's Anna Bankowska at halfway in 1:17:18, Schaub ran a 1:16:23 second half, taking the lead just before 40 km. Polish runners took the next 3 spots, Emila Mazek getting 2nd in 2:35:36 and Bankowska fading to 3rd in 2:36:51 with Joanna Konopko 4th in a PB of 2:38:31.

47th NN Warsaw Marathon

Warsaw, Poland, 28 Sept. 2025

complete results and splits

Men

1. Ryoma Takeuchi (Japan/ND Software) - 2:11:21

2. Amitai Yonah (Israel) - 2:15:49 - PB

3. Thijs Nijhuis (Denmark) - 2:16:46

4. Arkadiusz Gardzielewski (Poland) - 2:17:37

5. Artur Olejarz (Poland) - 2:20:38

6. Patryk Pawłowski (Poland) - 2:20:44 - debut

7. Adrian Żakowski (Poland) - 2:20:49 - PB

8. Damian Rudnik (Poland) - 2:22:13 - debut

Women

1. Michelle Schaub (Switzerland) - 2:33:41 - PB

2. Emilia Mazek (Poland) - 2:35:36

3. Anna Bankowska (Poland) - 2:36:51

4. Joanna Konopko (Poland) - 2:38:31 - PB

5. Maria Dolores Marco (Spain) - 2:42:46

6. Sylwia Slezak (Poland) - 2:43:24 - debut

7. Natalia Gaik (Poland) - 2:52:07 - debut

8. Aydeth Anaya (Colombia) - 2:52:26 - PB

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DNF - Monika Olejarz (Poland)

text and photos © 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved