Ryuichi Yoshioka 7th at Volksbank Muenster Marathon

Bumped by a local election from its usual date at the beginning of September to the same day as the Berlin Marathon, the Volksbank Muenster Marathon saw its most competitive men's race ever. With pacers assigned to go 3:04/km with a halfway split of 1:04:30-45, the lead men went through 5 km way ahead of that in 15:02 and 15 km in 45:17.

Running his first race in Europe and hoping for a low-2:10 improvement to his 2:10:49 PB in Tokyo this year, Ryuichi Yoshioka, stayed tucked into the lead pack at that point, but Taiki Suzuki, with a 2:11:51 PB from Tokyo and fresh from altitude training in Kenya in hopes of 2:09, was already starting to lose touch.

Yoshioka rolled with the lead group through halfway in 1:03:55 on CR pace, but when a break came just before 30 km he was dropped. Most of the people ahead of him ended up running PBs, no small achievement with relatively windy conditions, and for the first time in the race's 23-year history 3 men ended up going under 2:10. Kenyans took the top 5 positions, Samuel Kiplimo Naibei getting the win in 2:09:20, Stephen Kipkemoi Kibor 2nd in 2:09:33 and Cornelius Kibiwott Chepkok 3rd in 2:09:39. The top 6 all broke 2:12, a first in Muenster history.

Yoshioka wound up just off the 6-deep podium in 7th in 2:13:28 in his European debut, a bit disappointed at not being able to stay with it but with the consolation prize of taking 29 seconds off the fastest time by a Japanese man in Muenster, previously 2:13:57 by Makoto Fukui back in 2012. "It's been really hot in Japan this summer, and since I couldn't get away from work to train I didn't get in some of the main workouts," Yoshioka told JRN post-race. "I felt better than I expected, but it was a lot faster than I expected too, so I was pretty tired by the time we got to 30 km. It was a great race and an incredible town, though."

After Suzuki lost touch just before 15 km he started to struggle, and around 32 km he dropped out. "I just starting having rouble moving," he said post-race. "I felt stiff, and when once I was alone it got harder and harder. At 32 km I just decided to stop."

The women's race was a heavy-duty blowout by favorite Aberash Faye Robi, with a 2:24:59 PB the only woman in the field to have run under 2:31. 2 male pacers held steady at 2:29-flat pace, and while all the African women in the race went with them Aberash was the only one who had the caliber to really sustain it. She won in 2:29:21, a rare sub-2:30 in Muenster and ultimately over 3 minutes ahead of runner-up Carolyne Jepchumba Biwott, who ran a PB 2:32:31. Noreen Jebichii Kimutai was a distant 3rd in 2:38:04.

23rd Volksbank Muenster Marathon

Muenster, Germany, 21 September 2025

complete results and splits

Men

1. Samuel Kiplimo Naibei (Kenya) - 2:09:20

2. Stephen Kipkemoi Kibor (Kenya) - 2:09:33

3. Cornelius Kibiwott Chepkok (Kenya) - 2:09:39

4. Abraham Kipkemei Biwott (Kenya) - 2:10:50

5. Gilbert Kipkoech Bii (Kenya) - 2:11:46

6. Godwin Light Katakura (Zimbabwe) - 2:11:53

7. Ryuichi Yoshioka (Japan/Honda Tochigi) - 2:13:29

8. Wilson Cheruiyot (Kenya) - 2:16:03

9. Manuel Kruse (Germany) - 2:23:53

10. Nic Ihlow (Germany) - 2:24:38

-----

DNF - Taiki Suzuki (Japan)

DNF - Blessing Zvikomborero Waison (Zimbabwe)

Women

1. Aberash Fayesa Robi (Ethiopia) - 2:29:21

2. Carolyne Jepchumba Biwott (Kenya) - 2:32:31

3. Noreen Jebichii Kimutai (Kenya) - 2:38:04

4. Maria Elisa Legelli (Germany) - 2:40:39

5. Jana Kappenberg (Germany) - 2:46:26

6. Caroline Jepkemei Kimosop (Kenya) - 2:47:13

7. Miriam Zirk (Germany) - 2:47:45

8. Franziska Rennecke (Germany) - 2:51:45

9. Reikja Krause (Germany) - 2:54:10

10. Lavinia Jurgens (Germany) - 2:55:06

-----

DNF - Winnie Jebet (Kenya)

DNF - Monica Jeptoo (Kenya)

Everything You Need to Know About the 2026 Hakone Ekiden

The Hakone Ekiden is the world's biggest road race, 2 days of road relay action with Japan's 20 best university teams racing 10 half marathon-scale legs from central Tokyo to the mountains east of Mount Fuji and back. The level just keeps going higher and higher , hitting the point this year where there are teams with 10-runner averages of 13:33.10 for 5000 m, 27:55.98 for 10000 m, and 1:01:20 for the half marathon. It's never been better, and with great weather in the forecast it's safe to say this could be one of the best races in Hakone's 102-year history, especially on Day One. If you've seen it then you know NTV's live broadcast is the best sports broadcast in the world, with the pre-race show kicking off at 7:00 a.m. Japan time on the 2nd and 3rd and the race starting at 8:00 a.m. sharp. If you've got a VPN you should be able to watch it on TVer starting at 7:50 a.m. on the 2nd , and again at 7:50 a.m. on the 3rd . There's even a 2-hour high...

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