General Information

Information about the Tokyo Marathon 2024 for anyone involved.

Elite Race

Race Overview

1) Category Marathon (Elite)
2) Sanctioned by: World Athletics
3) Course: Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building -- Suidobashi -- Ueno-hirokoji -- Kanda -- Nihombashi -- Asakusa Kaminarimon Gate -- Ryogoku -- Monzen-nakacho -- Ginza -- Tamachi -- Hibiya -- Tokyo Station/Gyoko-dori Ave.(This course is certified by the JAAF, AIMS and World Athletics.)
4) Capacity: 150 athletes

Elite Race Preview

Tokyo Marathon Race Director Tadaaki Hayano

 I would like to express my profound gratitude to all of those who have worked so hard to make this event possible.

 For the Tokyo Marathon 2024, we were able to invite a great selection of exemplary male and female athletes. As we head toward the Paris2024 Olympics, I'm confident to say that this will be one of the top marathons in the world, in line with the global standards that we havebeen advocating for some time.

 For overseas men's representatives, we will have the pleasure of seeing Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) run in Tokyo again, following his recordbreaking time of 2:02:40 in the Tokyo Marathon 2021. He took home a gold at the Rio 2016 Olympics and another at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics,as I'm sure you all know.

 Two years ago, he set a course record in Tokyo, and six months later, he set the then-world record at the 2022 Berlin Marathon with2:01:09. Perhaps he will set a fantastic pace in Tokyo and carry that momentum on to a third Olympic win in Paris?

 And Kipchoge's rivals are no slouches themselves! They include Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (Kenya), and Timothy Kiplagat (Kenya). Thoseare with personal records in the 2:03:00 bracket. Close behind Kipchoge's win in the 2023 Berlin Marathon was second place Kipkemoi, whois 25 years old. Can these athletes use the impetus of youth to overtake the strategic and calm champion?

 I think the race pace is likely to be set by the current course record. Kipchoge will lead the race from the start, with the 2 athletes in the2:03 bracket hot on his heels, trying to keep him from an easy victory. Just as last time, where Kipchoge took charge as the pacemakeraround the 26 km mark, the battle for pacemaker might begin before the 30 km mark this time too. I'm looking forward to seeing one of thehighest paced races in Japan, as well as all the fierce maneuvering for the finish line.

 And let's not forget about the Japanese representatives. As this is a Marathon Grand Championship (MGC) Final Challenge-eligible race,the men will be competing for the final slot to represent Japan in the Paris Olympics' marathon. With a record of 2:05:50 to beat, I'm sureeveryone will be going all-out right from the starting line.

 As this is a MGC Final Challenge race, we will see Japanese record holder Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu) giving it his best. He reported feelingunder the weather before the race two years ago, yet he finished with the second fastest time in Japanese history, at 2:05:28, a testamentto his potential and his characteristic sensibilities. I wonder how he will use the remaining time before the race to further refine his skills andcondition.

 And I'm also looking forward to Ichitaka Yamashita (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), who was the top Japanese runner in the previous race,posting a time of 2:05:51. He held first for over 40 km in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, and although his leg crampedin the endgame, his performance still left a lasting impression. And keep a close watch on Kenya Sonota (East Japan Railway Company), last year's second place Japanese athletes. Although Yamashita and Sonota didn't perform as well as they had hoped in the New Year's DayEkiden race, their commitment to the marathon is unmistakable.

 Kyohei Hosoya (Krosaki Harima) regretfully to his dismay, experienced a fall at the MGC held in October last year, but since then has runin the Fukuoka International Marathon and New Year Ekiden, and this will be his final chance to be nominated as a representative for Paris2024.

 Although not invited athletes but, I look forward to how well Toshiki Sadakata (Mitsubishi Heavy Industries), Yusuke Nishiyama (ToyotaMotor) as well as Yuma Hattori (Toyota Motor) who ran in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo will be doing. I'm also anxious to see theperformance of younger athletes, Yusuke Tamura (Krosaki Harima) participating in a marathon race for the first time, and 23 years old ChikaraYamano Kyudenko) running for the second time.

 The second pack of runners will likely be composed by Japanese athletes aiming to beat 2:05:50, as well as the seven overseas athletes with 2:04 personal bests. Although it does depend on the weather, I predict the athletes will keep a high pace through the first half of the course helped by its downward slope. Who will make the final spurt after keeping each other in check up to the 30 kilometers point is another point that we should not miss.

 We also need to particularly keep an eye on the women's race at this event. Many high-level athletes will be competing in this marathon.

 Sifan Hassan who won two Abbott World Marathon Majors, the London Marathon and the Chicago Marathon, in 2023 will be running the 42.195 km in Tokyo for the first time. She is a top-class runner, winning gold medals in both the 5000m and 10000m races in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and triumphing in the Chicago Marathon with the second fastest time in history of 2:13:44.

 Other overseas athletes we should not miss include, Amane Beriso Shankule (Ethiopia) with a personal best of 2:14:58, Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya) who won last year's Tokyo Marathon with a finishing time of 2:16:28, and winner of the Tokyo Marathon 2020, Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (Israel). Whether Hassans get a head start keeping up a high pace from the start of the race, or it become a tight race, it's definitely going to be an exciting race.

 One other female athlete worth looking out for is Hitomi Niiya (SEKISUI CHEMICAL). The Japanese women's marathon record has been broken after 19 years. Niiya aims to set a new record at the Tokyo Marathon 2024. The athletes will no doubt engage in a world top class race, led by Kipchoge in the men's race and Hassan in the women's race. As for Japanese athletes, men will be aiming to beat the 2:05:50 threshold to secure the last ticket to Paris, and for women, Niiya will aim to establish a new Japanese record high. Spectators' hearts will

 be pounding with excitement as they watch the high level runners compete fiercely to the very end, and aim, if close enough, to set new record highs. Let's enjoy every minute of the exciting Tokyo Marathon 2024, a gateway to Paris and the start of a new era.

All Invited Athletes (As of January 30, 2024):
JAPANESE-MEN (6 Athletes)
INTERNATIONAL–MEN (9 Athletes)
JAPANESE-WOMEN (2 Athletes)
INTERNATIONAL-WOMEN (9 Athletes)
All Invited Athletes (As of January 30, 2024):MEN  WOMEN

Tadaaki Hayano
President of Tokyo Marathon Foundation and Race Director of Tokyo Marathon

Tadaaki HAYANO's picture

Born in Nagasaki, Japan in 1958.
1976 high school national track and field champion in the menʼs 800m.
After graduating from Tsukuba University in Health and Sports Science, pursued high school teacher, ASICS Boulder manager, and managing director of the NISHI Athletics Co., LTD.
Involved in the Tokyo Marathon since the first event in 2007, and commit in the addition into the World Marathon Majors.
He serves as a member of the World Athletics Road Running Commission, the Japan Sports Agencyʼs Sport Health Commission, the NAS-PEHDM, and the JAAF Road Running Commission.

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  • IFING Co., Ltd.
  • ASICS Japan Corp.
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  • KINTETSU INTERNATIONAL
  • SEIKO GROUP CORPORATION
  • The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company, Limited
  • Toray Industries, Inc.
  • McDonald's Company (Japan), Ltd.
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  • Mizuho Bank, Ltd.
  • Kokumin Kyosai coop(National Federation of Workers and Consumers Kyosai Cooperatives)
  • Hisamitsu Pharmaceutical Co.,Inc.
  • Kao Corporation
  • BATHCLIN CORPORATION
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  • NIHON KOHDEN CORPORATION
  • KOYOU RENTIA Co.,Ltd.
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