Each country can field up to 2 men and 2 women per marathon team at the Asian Games. The top-ranked male and female athletes in the 2025-26 MGC Series rankings were given first priority, with the second slots going to people with high-level performances in the 2025-26 MGC Series.
Yoshida ran 2:05:16 to win the 2024 Fukuoka International Marathon, and at February's Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon ran an excellent 2:06:59 to take the top Japanese spot in the race and in the MGC rankings. After having run the Tokyo World Championships marathon last fall this will be his second-straight marathon national team in a major international championships. Yamashita ran 2:06:18 at February's Osaka Marathon and was the 2nd Japanese finisher there.
Women's MGC Series champion Sato was named to the team after expressing interest in running the Asian Games. She also ran the Tokyo World Championships marathon, and at March's Nagoya Women's Marathon she ran 2:21:56 to finish 2nd overall for the second year in a row. Yada set a 2:19:57 debut marathon national record at January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, the fastest time in the MGC Series this time around.
Yuki Takei (JR Higashi Nihon) and Mao Uesugi (Tokyo Metro) were named alternates. After certification by the Japanese Olympic Committee the lineup will be finalized. The Asian Games marathon is scheduled for Sept. 26 on a certified course starting and finishing at Nagoya's Paloma Mizuho Stadium.
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