Kipchoge and Kosgei run fastest times ever in Japan to win Tokyo Marathon

Kenya’s world record-holders Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei won Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon with dominant performances as they posted the fastest times ever run in Japan.

Kipchoge briefly took a wrong turn 10 kilometres in the 42.195km race but quickly recovered to win in 2 hours 02min 40sec, the fastest time ever run-in marathon-mad Japan.

It was 61 seconds outside the world record Kipchoge had set in Berlin in 2018 but was the fourth quickest ever run.

Kipchoge now owns three of the four fastest times in history.

The crucial point in the race came after 35km when Kipchoge pulled away from team-mate Amos Kipruto in a race that is part of the Abbot World Marathon Majors.

Kipruto crossed the line in 2:03:13, with Ethiopia’s Tamirat Tola a further 61 seconds back in 2:04:14 to claim victory in a race that did not take place last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The previous fastest time in Japan had been set by Wilson Kipsang Kiprotich in 2017, when he ran 2:03:58.

Double Olympic champion Kipchoge was ahead of world record schedule in the early stages but lost about 10 to 15 seconds when he was part of a lead group which took a wrong turn.

Kipchoge did not allow the mishap to ruin his race and ground out the miles as all his challengers fell by the wayside, including Ethiopia’s Mosinet Gerenew, the fourth fastest marathon runner in history, who dropped out after 25km.

For the 37-year-old, it meant he finally got to savour victory in Tokyo after last year’s marathon at the re-arranged Olympic Games was moved more than a 1,000km away from the Japanese capital to Sapporo to avoid the heat.

Kipchoge had previously triumphed four times in the London Marathon, three times in Berlin and he has one win in Chicago.

Only the Boston Marathon and New York City Marathons now remain in his sights to complete the grand slam of World Marathon Major victories.

"Today I'm very happy,” Kipchoge said.

"After winning my second Olympic Gold medal in Japan last summer, I returned to Tokyo to run a strong race.

"This is what I meant with a strong race, 2:02 victory and new course record.

"I'm proud to now have won four out of the six Abbott World Marathon Major races."

In the women’s race, Kosgei was looking to bounce back from her disappointment at failing to win the gold medal at the Olympics and fourth place finish at the London Marathon in October.

The time by the 28-year-old Kosgei was the third fastest in history behind only her own world record of 2:14:04, set in Chicago in 2019, and Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, who ran 2:15:25 in London in 2003.

Bekere’s was the fifth best ever.

The previous best time by a woman in Japan was Israel’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, who ran 2:17:45 to win this race in 2020.