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Akasaki PBs in Chicago, Takeuchi 2nd in Perth


Four elite-level Japanese athletes were at the Chicago Marathon Sunday. In the women's race, Yuka Akasaki (Kraftia), 6th in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, ran the second-fastest time of her career, 2:23:18 for 11th. Her husband Akira Akasaki (Kraftia), also 6th in Paris and runner-up in Berlin last year, better his PB by 28 seconds with a 2:05:47 for 9th, the fastest time this year by a Japanese man and his second-straight World Marathon Majors top 10 finish.

NR holder Suguru Osako (Li Ning) was about 3 minutes off his goal of a new Asian record with a 2:07:34 for 14th, with half marathon NR holder Tomoki Ota (Toyota) struggling a bit to find his feet in his marathon debut, running 2:11:52 for 26th off a 1:02:57 first half.

At the Perth Running Festival marathon in Australia, 2025 Warsaw Marathon winner Ryoma Takeuchi (ND Software) had a great head-to-head race against Kenyan Dominic Ngeno, together through 10 km, then dropping as far as 1:42 behind at one point before closing up again. A DNF at July's Gold Coast Marathon, Ngeno won in 2:16:53 just 10 seconds off the CR, with Takeuchi 2nd in 2:17:46. Women's winner Antonina Kwambai of Kenya, the runner-up at Gold Coast, was 5th overall in a 2:28:08 CR.

© 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Anonymous said…
Great result for the Akasaki couple at Chicago. A PB for Akira Akasaki in the heat is a great result even though I believe he was disappointed the NR alluded him. Happy to see Yuka Akasaki running after such a long spell on the side lines with injury. And especially glad to see her hit the MGC qualification standard. Oct 3 next year is going to be super competitive to get a birth in the Japanese marathon team.
October 14, 2026 at 4:56 AM
Anonymous said…
Akira Akasaki confirms himself as the guy who should be the staple of the japanese national team. Not saying he is the on with the higher ceiling, there are other guys who if they figure it out are the ones who can get to a next level. But he's the one who runs better consistently (not counting Osako as his age won't do him any favours) against international competitions at different courses and different conditions. We know that may not be the case because of the foolish selection system but he has established himself as a true competitor at the highest stage.
October 14, 2026 at 9:06 PM
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