The Mar. 1 Tokyo Marathon has great fields this year, so let's get right to it.
The women's field has 3 of last year's top 10, winner for the 2nd year in a row and Tokyo CR holder Sutume Asefa Kebede, 3rd-placer and 2025 Chicago winner Hawi Feysa, and 5th-placer and 2025 Berlin winner Rosemary Wanjiru, plus 2024 Valencia winner Megertu Alemu, 2025 Prague winner Bertukan Welde, 2024 Paris winner Mestawut Fikir, 2024 Osaka winner Waganesh Mekasha, former WR holder Brigid Kosgei, and a lot more.
Japanese hopes pretty much go to all-time #7 Ai Hosoda, 2:20:31 in Berlin 2024 but who announced this month that she is retiring after Tokyo despite having qualified for the 2028 Olympic marathon trials with her 2:23:27 for 6th in Sydney last year. Other internationals include Canadian Malindi Elmore, American Sara Hall, a big Chinese group led by Yuyu Xia, Poland's Aleksandra Brzezińska and Australian Vanessa Wilson.
The men's race has 5 of last year's top 10, with winner Tadese Takele, 3rd-placer Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, 7th-place Geoffrey Toroitich, 8th-place Suldan Hassan and 10th-place Tsubasa Ichiyama all returning. 2024 Tokyo runner-up Timothy Kiplagat and 2024 London winner Alexander Mutiso have the top 2 spots by time, with other notables including 2024 Berlin winner Milkesa Mengesha, 2023 Tokyo winner Chalu Deso, 2025 Seville winner Selemon Barega, new Japanese NR holder Suguru Osako and the man he replaced Kengo Suzuki, Canadian NR holder Cam Levins, and Japanese debut marathon record holder Ryota Kondo. Taken altogether, Osako, Suzuki, Kondo and Ichiyama make up 4 of Japan's all-time 9 fastest.
International competition behind the biggest names includes French NR holder Morhad Amdouni, Tokyo World Championships bronze medalist Iliass Aouani of Italy, Uzbekistan NR holder Shokhrukh Davlatov, another good Chinese crew led by Peiyou Feng, and Irish NR holder Fearghal Curtin. Big names on the men's debut list include Japan-based Kenyans Richard Kimunyan and Vincent Yegon, and collegiate stars Shinsaku Kudo and Teruki Shimada.
World record holders Catherine Debrunner and Marcel Hug lead the wheelchair race fields, with tough competition for Debrunner from Eden Rainbow-Cooper and Manuela Schar, and from Jin Hua and CR/NR holder Tomoki Suzuki for Hug.
JRN's Brett Larner will once again be doing the commentary for Nippon TV's official international broadcast. More details closer to race date.
2026 Tokyo Marathon Elite Field Highlights
Tokyo, 1 Mar. 2026
times listed are athletes' best in last 3 years except where noted
Women
Hawi Feysa (Ethiopia) - 2:14:57 (Chicago 2025)
Sutume Asefa Kebede (Ethiopia) - 2:15:55 (Tokyo 2024)
Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya) - 2:16:14 (Tokyo 2024)
Megertu Alemu (Ethiopia) - 2:16:34 (London 2024)
Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) - 2:16:36 (Shanghai 2025)
Bertukan Welde (Ethiopia) - 2:17:56 (Amsterdam 2025)
Mestawut Fikir (Ethiopia) - 2:18:48 (Berlin 2024)
Mekides Shimeles (Ethiopia) - 2:19:56 (Amsterdam 2025)
Aberu Ayana (Ethiopia) - 2:20:20 (Berlin 2024)
Waganesh Mekasha (Ethiopia) - 2:20:26 (Amsterdam 2025)
Ai Hosoda (Japan/Edion) - 2:20:31 (Berlin 2024)
Azmera Gebru (Ethiopia) - 2:21:29 (Berlin 2025)
Viola Cheptoo (Kenya) - 2:21:40 (Berlin 2025)
Pascalia Jepkogei (Kenya) - 2:22:49 (Cape Town 2024)
Malindi Elmore (Canada) - 2:23:30 (Berlin 2023)
Sara Hall (U.S.A.) - 2:23:45 (Valencia 2024)
Yumi Yoshikawa (Japan/Canon) - 2:25:20 (Osaka Int'l 2023)
Yuyu Xia (China) - 2:25:45 (Nagoya Women's 2024)
Mirai Waku (Japan/Univ. Ent.) - 2:25:58 (Nagoya Women's 2023)
Zhixuan Li (China) - 2:26:17 (Nanjing 2024)
Li Bai (China) - 2:26:33 (Wuxi 2023)
Bingjie Xu (China) - 2:27:11 (Wuxi 2025)
Aleksandra Brzezińska (Poland) - 2:27:20 (Valencia 2023)
Yuri Karasawa (Japan/Kraftia) - 2:27:27 (Osaka 2023)
Ying Lu (China) - 2:27:30 (Wuxi 2025)
Vanessa Wilson (Australia) - 2:28:34 (Berlin 2024)
Miao Yao (China) - 2:30:13 (Shanghai 2025)
Yukari Nagatomo (Japan/Memolead) - 2:30:37 (Tokyo 2025)
Sinead Diver (Australia) - 2:31:27 (Sydney 2023)
Sarah Reiter (U.S.A.) - 2:31:58 (Grandma's 2023)
Debut
Grace Loibach Nawowuna (Kenya) - 1:06:31 (Meishan Half 2025)
Kristine Engeset (Norway) - 1:10:32 (Valencia Half 2025)
Chikako Mori (Japan/Sekisui Kagaku) - 1:12:33 (Nat'l Corp. Half 20239
Men
Timothy Kiplagat (Kenya) - 2:02:55 (Tokyo 2024)
Alexander Mutiso (Kenya/ND Software) - 2:03:11 (Valencia 2023)
Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (Kenya) - 2:03:13 (Berlin 2023)
Milkesa Mengesha (Ethiopia) - 2:03:17 (Berlin 2024)
Tadese Takele (Ethiopia) - 2:03:23 (Tokyo 2025)
Geoffrey Toroitich (Kenya) - 2:03:30 (Amsterdam 2025)
Morhad Amdouni (France) - 2:03:47 (Zurich 2024)
Dawit Wolde (Ethiopia) - 2:03:48 (Valencia 2023)
Daniel Mateiko (Kenya) - 2:04:24 (Valencia 2024)
Suguru Osako (Japan/Li-Ning) - 2:04:55 (Valencia 2025)
Chalu Deso (Ethiopia) - 2:05:14 (Valencia 2023)
Selemon Barega (Ethiopia) - 2:05:15 (Seville 2025)
Seifu Tura (Ethiopia) - 2:05:17 (London 2025)
Shiferu Tamru (Ethiopia) - 2:05:28 (Dubai 2025)
Cam Levins (Canada) - 2:05:36 (Tokyo 2023)
Ryotaro Kondo (Japan/Mitsubishi Juko) - 2:05:39 (Osaka 2025)
Suldan Hassan (Sweden) - 2:05:57 (Tokyo 2025)
Justus Kangogo (Kenya) - 2:05:57 (Berlin 2023)
Muktar Edris (Ethiopia) - 2:05:59 (Boston 2025)
Tsubasa Ichiyama (Japan/Sunbelx) - 2:06:00 (Tokyo 2025)
Iliass Aouani (Italy) - 2:06:06 (Valencia 2024)
Kengo Suzuki (Japan) - 2:06:18 (Osaka 2025)
Simon Kariuki (Kenya/Togami Denki) - 2:06:29 (Tokyo 2024)
Naoki Koyama (Japan/Honda) - 2:06:33 (Osaka 2024)
Kazuya Nishiyama (Japan/Toyota) - 2:06:45 (Osaka 2023)
Barnaba Kipkoech (Kenya) - 2:06:54 (Koln 2025)
Derese Workneh (Ethiopia/Hiramatsu Byoin) - 2:06:58 (Hofu 2025)
Shokhrukh Davlatov (Uzbekistan) - 2:07:02 (Valencia 2023)
Peiyou Feng (China) - 2:07:06 (Valencia 2024)
Michael Githae (Kenya/Suzuki) - 2:07:08 (Fukuoka Int'l 2023)
Shaohui Yang (China) - 2:07:09 (Fukuoka Int'l 2023)
Tadesse Getahon (Israel) - 2:07:15 (Amsterdam 2025)
Vincent Raimoi (Kenya/Suzuki) - 2:07:23 (Tokyo 2023)
Benard Kimani (Kenya/Comodi Iida) - 2:07:28 (Osaka 2025)
Riki Nakanishi (Japan/Toenec) - 2:07:29 (Osaka 2025)
Shin Kimura (Japan/Honda) - 2:07:34 (Tokyo 2024)
Raymond Choge (Kenya) - 2:07:36 (Milan 2024)
Yusuke Tamura (Japan/Kurosaki Harima) - 2:07:38 (Berlin 2024)
Masato Arao (Japan/ND Software) - 2:07:42 (Sydney 2025)
Fearghal Curtin (Ireland) - 2:07:54 (Gyeongju 2025)
Koki Takada (Japan/Sumitomo Denko) - 2:07:57 (Osaka 2025)
Abayneh Degu (Ethiopia) - 2:08:28 (Osaka 2023)
Kazuya Azegami (Japan/Aichi T&F Assoc.) - 2:08:29 (Osaka 2023)
Aoi Ota (Japan/GMO) - 2:08:31 (Gold Coast 2025)
Ryoma Takeuchi (Japan/ND Software) - 2:08:38 (Gold Coast 2025)
Yuichi Yasui (Japan/Aichi T&F Assoc.) - 2:08:48 (Beppu-Oita 2023)
Yakoub Labquira (Morocco) - 2:09:04 (Zurich 2025)
Kei Katanishi (Japan/JR Higashi Nihon) - 2:09:14 (Osaka 2025)
Kohei Futaoka (Japan/Chudenko) - 2:09:21 (Tokyo 2023)
Hideyuki Tanaka (Japan/Toyota) - 2:09:27 (Osaka 2024)
Ryuichi Hashimoto (Japan/Press Kogyo) - 2:09:40 (Osaka 2025)
Yuma Morii (Japan/Kyoto T&F Assoc,) - 2:09:59 (Boston 2024)
Debut
Richard Kimunyan (Kenya/Logisteed) - 59:37 (RAK Half 2023)
Shinsaku Kudo (Japan/Waseda Univ.) - 1:00:06 (Marugame Half 2025)
Vincent Yegon (Kenya/Honda) - 1:00:39 (RAK Half 2025)
Teruki Shimada (Japan/Teikyo Univ.) - 1:00:56 (Marugame Half 2025)
Kiseki Shiozawa (Japan/Fujitsu) - 1:01:43 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2023)
Wheelchair Women
Catherine Debrunner (Switzerland) - 1:34:16 (Berlin 2023)
Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Great Britain) - 1:34:17 (Berlin 2023)
Manuela Schar (Switzerland) - 1:35:08 (Berlin 2024)
Susannah Scaroni (U.S.A.) - 1:36:28 (Tokyo 2025)
Zhou Zhaoqian (China) - 1:37:46 (Tokyo 2025)
Wakako Tsuchida (Japan/Willraise) - 1:37:59 (Oita 2022)
Tatyana McFadden (U.S.A.) - 1:39:04 (Chicago 2025)
Vanessa De Souza (Brazil) - 1:39:55 (Grandma's 2025)
Patricia Eachus (Switzerland) - 1:40:00 (Oita 2024)
Madison De Rozario (Australia) - 1:40:32 (Tokyo 2025)
Tsubasa Nakamine (Japan/Tess Engineering) - 1:44:34 (Tokyo 2024)
Wheelchair Men
Marcel Hug (Switzerland) - 1:15:33 (Boston 2024)
Jin Hua (China) - 1:18:31 (Oita 2024)
Tomoki Suzuki (Japan/Toyota) - 1:19:14 (Tokyo 2025)
Luo Xingchuan (China) - 1:21:55 (Oita 2025)
David Weir (Great Britain) - 1:22:12 (Boston 2024)
Jetze Plat (Netherlands) - 1:24:28 (Dubai 2023)
Geert Schipper (Netherlands) - 1:26:51 (London 2025)
Hiroki Kishizawa (Japan/Hitachi Solutions) - 1:28:04 (Oita 2025)
Sho Watanabe (Japan/Toppan) - 1:28:50 (Berlin 2025)
Hiroki Nishida (Japan/Baccarrat Pacific) - 1:31:03 (Tokyo 2025)
Samuel Rizzo (Australia) - 1:31:11 (Gold Coast 2025)
photos © 2025 Montri Boonyasat/Running Insider, all rights reserved
text © 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
Comments
Very intriguing debut for Kudo: he was caught in the middle of the Kuroda storm on the 5th stage and while I think he regrets his performance (which was good but wasn't a step ahead compared to last year) he has the half marathon credentials to be considered one of the most intriguing debuts this season.