World record-holders Kipchoge and Kosgei lead Tokyo Marathon elite field
Women’s and men’s world record holders Brigid Kosgei and Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya are set to return to Japan after winning the Olympic marathon silver and gold medals in Sapporo last summer, with backing from small but high-quality international fields, the Japanese women-only and men’s marathon national record holders and half marathon national record.
Kosgei will face a solid list of proven winners, including last year’s Amsterdam winner Angela Tanui (Kenya), 2019 Berlin winner Ashete Bekere (Ethiopia), 2021 Milan winner Hiwot Gebrekidan (Ethiopia), 2021 Berlin winner Gotytom Gebreslase (Ethiopia), 2020 Marathon Project winner Sara Hall (U.S.A.) fresh off a new NR at January’s Houston Half Marathon, and 2019 Tokyo Marathon runner-up Helen Bekele (Ethiopia), winner of the Olympic-qualifying micro race held in Belp, Switzerland last year.
Japan’s women-only NR holder Mao Ichiyama (Wacoal), 1st in Osaka last year and 1st in Nagoya the year before, is also in the mix between Gotytom and Hall by best time.
2020 winner Lonah Chemtai Salpeter is chasing bigger bucks in Nagoya the weekend after Tokyo, but her 2:17:45 CR won’t go easily.
Kipchoge’s main competition comes from 2019 and 2020 Tokyo winner Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) and 2019 Doha World Championships silver medalist Mosinet Geremew (Ethiopia). Kipchoge’s best time in a legitimate race since setting the 2:01:39 world record in 2018 was his 2:02:37 win in London 2019, and both Birhanu and Mosinet have run within 18 seconds of that.
Mosinet and Tamirat Tola (Ethiopia) both beat Kipchoge in London 2020, and with Tola’s 2:03:39 win in Amsterdam last fall almost a minute faster than Kipchoge’s best time of 2020 and 2021 he’s on the list of people who could take away a Tokyo win too.
Likewise for Doha bronze medalist Amos Kipruto (Kenya). Jonathan Korir (Kenya) and Japanese NR holder Kengo Suzuki (Fujitsu) round out the list of current sub-2:05 runners, with Shura Kitata (Ethiopia) just outside.
Given the number of people who’ve run faster than Wilson Kipsang’s 2:03:58 CR, the chances are higher that we’ll see it go than the women’s.
