Just under 40,000 athletes competed at the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday morning, with Brigid Kosgei and Tadese Takele taking the victories. The day started in the low 50s and peaked at 60 degrees by the end of the elite race, with mild winds throughout.
Here are the highlights from the race.
Related StoriesBrigid Kosgei sets course record in 2:14:28
It took over 20 miles for 32-year-old Brigid Kosgei of Kenya to pull away from two-time defending Tokyo champion Sutume Kebede of Ethiopia, who also owns the top two fastest times in event history. But that’s no longer the case, as Kosgei’s winning time of 2:14:29 shattered Kebede’s course record of 2:15:55 set in 2024 and nearly broke her own personal best of 2:14:04, which established a new women’s-only world record in 2019.
In denying Kebede a record third straight victory, Kosgei joins her as one of just three women to win the race twice. Kebede faded to fourth today in 2:17:39, just edged out for third by reigning Chicago Marathon champion Hawi Feysa. Fellow countrywoman Bertukan Welde set a one-minute personal best of 2:16:36 for runner-up honors.
Kosgei, once considered one of the top marathoners in the world, looks to be again at the top of her game after struggling with injuries for the past several years. Her World Marathon Major record now includes 6 victories: the 2018 and 2019 Chicago Marathons, the 2019 and 2020 London Marathons, and the 2021 and 2026 Tokyo Marathons.
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Tadese Takele defends title in thrilling three-way sprint finish
Tadese Takele of Ethiopia defended his title at the 2026 Tokyo Marathon in an incredible three-way sprint finish with Kenyans Geoffrey Toroitich and Alexander Mutiso, as both Takele and Toroitich clocked 2:03:37 and Mutiso recorded a final time of 2:03:38 for third. Fellow Kenyan Daniel Mateiko made it four men under 2:04 with his 2:03:44 performance.
All four men were still together with 1200 meters to go, weaving at top speed through the crowded streets of Tokyo. The 23-year-old Takele found redemption in the city, retaining his individual title (just 10 seconds off his winning time last year) after recording a DNF in the humid conditions at the World Championships marathon in Tokyo last September.
Sunday’s race race featured the second near-miss in a row for Mutiso, who was nipped at the line by Benson Kipruto for victory at the New York City Marathon last fall. Meanwhile Toroitich’s runner-up finish was a breakout moment for the new marathoner, whose debut in the distance last year in Tokyo resulted with a sixth-place finish in 2:05:46 and who went on to set a course record at the Amsterdam Marathon in 2:03:31.
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The standout performances went down the list as Muktar Edris of Ethiopia, a two-time 5K world champion on the track, improved his personal best by nearly two minutes to run 2:04:06 for fifth place. Iliass Aouani of Italy set a new national record in 2:04:26, continuing his hot streak since earning bronze in this city at the World Championships last summer.
The top group of men did not take the lead until the final 12 kilometers of the race, as Japan’s Ryuichi Hashimoto attempted to go wire-to-wire in a gutsy solo effort that felt reminiscent of countryman Yuki Kawauchi’s famous 2018 Boston Marathon win. Hashimoto was accompanied by a pacemaker through 10K, before blitzing the streets with an opening half marathon of 1:01:29, then fading hard with a 1:09:52 back half. He ultimately finished 39th in 2:11:21.
American Casey Clinger ran 2:08:43, placing 24th overall and improving upon his 2:16:05 debut at the Chicago Marathon last fall. The vast improvement comes after clocking 59:34 at the Houston Half Marathon in January, the third-fastest time ever for an American. The 27-year-old continues BYU’s impressive stranglehold on the long distance road races, joining the likes of American record holder Conner Mantz as well as Clayton Young, Ethan Shuley, and Rory Linkletter as sub-2:10 Cougars alums.
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Johanna Gretschel is a freelance writer and broadcaster living in Austin, Texas, who has covered elite track and field and running in all its forms. She contributes to Runner’s World, ESPN, Austin American-Statesman, FloTrack, MileSplit, Women’s Running and Podium Runner. Yes, she has run a marathon!
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