Everything in Japanese marathoning is already about qualifying for the MGC Race, Japan's trials race for the L.A. Olympics. Scheduled the same day as the Fukuoka International Marathon, the Dec. 7 Hofu Yomiuri Marathon counts the same weight as Fukuoka, Tokyo and Osaka in men's qualification, with trials spots up to be had by the first 6 Japanese men under 2:09:00 and the first Japanese woman under 2:27:00.
The only real contender to do that among the women is Mizuki Nishimura, running her first marathon off a 1:41:42 CR at the Kumanichi 30k in February. Given the Tenmaya corporate team's track record of success in the marathon, including the current women's NR of 2:18:59, her chances are pretty good. Ayumi Morita ran a 2:31:38 PB in Tokyo last year, but it's a big jump for her to get down to 2:26 and it'll mostly be a question of whether Nishimura executes the same way she did at Kumanichi.
For men there are 6 under 2:09:00 in the last 3 years, with Ryoma Takeuchi the freshest after a 2:08:38 PB for 3rd at Gold Coast this summer. Kazuya Nishiyama and Daisuke Doi both have recent 2:06 times to their names, and Masatoshi Sakata looks promising after a 2:09:08 in Osaka this year. There's no international field per se, but Japan-based Africans Derese Workneh, Bedan Karoki and Patrick Mathenge Wambui will be in the mix to motivate the front end of the Japanese field to keep the pace real.
56th Hofu Yomiuri Marathon Elite Field Highlights
Hofu, Yamaguchi, 7 Dec. 2025
times listed are athletes' best within last 3 years except where noted
Men
Kazuya Nishiyama (Toyota) - 2:06:45 (6th, Osaka 2023)
Daisuke Doi (Kurosaki Harima) - 2:06:54 (5th, Osaka 2024)
Derese Workneh (Ethiopia/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:07:46 (5th, Beppu-Oita 2025)
Yuta Koyama (Toenec) - 2:07:57 (17th, Osaka 2023)
Bedan Karoki (Kenya/Toyota) - 2:07:59 (16th, Tokyo 2024)
Patrick Mathenge (Kenya/NTT Nishi Nihon) - 2:08:28 (3rd, Fukuoka Int'l 2024)
Daiji Kawai (Toenec) - 2:08:32 (25th, Osaka 2023)
Yuki Kawauchi (ANDS) - 2:08:32 (1st, Hofu 2023)
Ryoma Takeuchi (ND Software) - 2:08:38 (3rd, Gold Coast 2025)
Masatoshi Sakata (NTN) - 2:09:08 (22nd, Osaka 2025)
Hidekazu Hijikata (Asahi Kasei) - 2:09:10 (19th, Osaka 2024)
Masashi Nonaka (Toyota) - 2:09:11 (20th, Osaka 2024)
Takayuki Iida (Fujitsu) - 2:09:34 (5th, Prague 2023)
Kazuki Muramoto (Sumitomo Denko) - 2:09:41 (13th, Beppu-Oita 2023)
Junnosuke Matsuo (NTT Nishi Nihon) - 2:10:29 (27th, Osaka 2024)
Yuki Suzuki (Kao) - 2:10:53 (42nd, Osaka 2025)
Haruka Kawamura (SDF Academy) - 2:10:57 (7th, Hofu 2023)
Takuma Takemura (SG Holdings) - 2:10:59 (3rd, Nobeoka 2025)
Koki Sato (Asahi Kasei) - 2:11:13 (1st, Nobeoka 2023)
Reo Kuniyuki (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 2:11:27 (9th, Beppu-Oita 2024)
Yoichi Ishikawa (SDF Academy) - 2:11:30 (4th, Nobeoka 2025)
Takuma Kumagai (Sumitomo Denko) - 2:11:40 (48th, Osaka 2025)
Takeshi Nishida (Toyota) - 2:11:41 (6th, Nobeoka 2024)
Women
Ayumi Morita (Tokyo Metro) - 2:31:38 (10th, Tokyo 2024)
Nagisa Goda (GRlab Kanto) - 2:42:31 (26th, Tokyo 2023)
Hodoka Shimizu (GRlab) - 2:42:58 (30th, Tokyo 2025)
Hisae Yoshimatsu (Shunan City Hall) - 2:46:15 (4th, Beppu-Oita 2025)
Mizuki Nishimura (Tenmaya) - 1:41:42 (1st, Kumanichi 30k 2025)
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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