At 9:05 a.m, under sunny skies with a temperature of 15.8°C and 32.0% humidity, 35 athletes (25 men and 10 women) surged past the starting line in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to begin the wheelchair marathon.
In the men's division, world record holder HUG, Marcel (Switzerland) reclaimed the throne, securing his fourth victory and his first in three years with a time of 1:21:09.
Early in the race, Hug worked in tandem with eventual runner-up XINGCHUAN, Luo (China), employing a "rotation" strategy—a common tactical move in wheelchair racing where athletes take turns leading to mitigate wind resistance and prevent a drop in pace. However, after the 15km mark, when LUO began to fall back, Hug broke away for a solo charge to the finish, ultimately clinching a dominant victory with a nearly seven-minute lead.
"I am very satisfied with this win. Since we were facing a strong headwind, LUO and I rotated. I wish we could have stayed together a bit longer, but once I was on my own, I focused on maintaining my pace to challenge the course record (1:19:14). On the Tokyo Marathon course, you pass by so many other runners at various points, and their energy really pushed me forward."
HUG also revealed that he debuted a new pair of racing gloves about a month ago. In wheelchair racing, gloves are as vital as a runner’s shoes; they are highly customized to fit the athlete’s hand shape and stroke technique. HUG seemed confident in the upgrade, noting, "In the past, I sometimes felt pain in my hands during a marathon, but today I could push comfortably until the end, and I felt less fatigued."
After a stellar previous season in which he swept all six Abbott WMM outside Tokyo, HUG has started this season with a decisive victory in Japan's capital. "It’s a great start to the year. I want to aim for the win in every race this season as well," he said, already looking toward his next challenge.
LUO, who finished second with a time of 1:28:08, managed to stay on HUG's heels until the 15km mark. Reflecting on the race, he noted, "The headwind drained my physical strength, and I began to fall behind." Although he improved his time by more than two minutes compared to last year, LUO showed a hint of frustration, stating, "Considering the results of my winter training, this time is still not enough." He vowed to make a strong comeback in the races to follow.
The third-place podium spot went to WATANABE, Sho (TOPPAN), who finished in 1:33:10. In a fierce battle among four athletes that lasted until the final stages, WATANABE broke away with a last-minute spurt, crossing the line just two seconds ahead of the fourth-place finisher. Despite the podium finish, WATANABE admitted, "The feeling of regret is stronger." During his winter training, he had experimented with various equipment adjustments and felt he had finally found a setup he could trust. However, disaster struck when he contracted the flu just last week. "It felt like everything I had built up vanished into thin air, and it was mentally draining. I had to stand on the starting line filled with anxiety, which led to a passive race where I couldn't join the lead pack," he reflected, candidly sharing the mental toll of his preparation.
In the women’s field, world record holder DEBRUNNER, Catherine (Switzerland), once again demonstrated her world-class caliber, clinching her second consecutive title with a time of 1:37:15. Last year, in her debut appearance, she stunned the field by setting a course record of 1:36:56 to claim her first victory.
“It was a challenging race, but I am thrilled to win. Securing a victory in the first race of the season is incredibly important. There were many strong competitors, which kept my motivation high, but I knew I wanted to break away from the pack as early as possible to secure the win.”
True to her words, she shook off the chasers before the 10km mark and began a solo surge at a pace that rivaled her own world record. While the wind ultimately prevented a new record, she spoke with a look of fulfillment: “In the second half, I focused on maintaining my rhythm. I feel I managed the race very well.”
The secret behind her stellar performance was visible right on her racer (racing wheelchair): a handwritten note taped where she could see it. It was densely packed with details, including her split times from last year’s record-breaking run. While she doesn’t do this for every event, for key races she writes down goal times, cautionary spots on the course, and tactical points where she plans to make a move. “I write down the things I want to keep in mind and stick them there,” she explained, offering a rare glimpse into the meticulous preparation that fuels her dominance.
The battle for second and third place in the women’s field came down to a thrilling sprint at the finish line. RAINBOW-COOPER, Eden (Great Britain), edged ahead to take second with a time of 1:41:13. She previously delivered a stellar performance as runner-up in her debut two years ago. "Tokyo is one of my favorite courses, and the support from the crowd is just incredible," she said with a bright smile. "To compete against top-level athletes and finish second in the first race of the season makes me so happy. All the grueling training I pushed through this winter has truly paid off. It was a fantastic experience."
Finishing in third place was ZHAOQIAN, Zhou (China), who clocked the same time as RAINBOW-COOPER, but was narrowly beaten in the final stretch.
SOEJIMA, Masazumi, the Wheelchair Race Director, summarized the day’s events: "While we saw dominant performances from HUG and DEBRUNNER, there were intense battles within the packs as well. The athletes truly gave us a heated, high-stakes race." He noted that while many elite international competitors participated this year, he remains committed to the future: "We want to continue our support so that even more athletes from around the world choose to race here in Tokyo."
Furthermore, the Duo Team category, which began as a pilot initiative last year, started simultaneously with the wheelchair race. All three teams successfully completed the course, marking another milestone for the event's inclusivity.
*Please note that SUZUKI, Tomoki did not compete, as he withdrew prior to the race.
