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2026 Tokyo Marathon: Kenyans take the battle to Ethiopian opponents
Kenyan runner Timothy Kiplagat.
Kenyan runner Timothy Kiplagat and his compatriot, 2024 London Marathon champion Alexander Mutiso, will take the battle for the men’s title in Tokyo Marathon to Ethiopian opponents on Sunday morning.
Kiplagat has the fastest time in men’s field, of 2 hours, 2 minutes and 55 seconds, which he registered while finishing second in the 2024 edition.
Mutiso has the second fastest time in the field of 2:03:11.
The first of seven prestigious Abbott World Marathon Majors races, Tokyo Marathon has attracted elite runners in both the men’s and women’s categories, among them a strong Kenyan presence seeking to dethrone Ethiopians who dominated last year’s races.
Kenya’s Alexander Mutiso Munyao crosses the finish line to win the men's elite 42km race during the London Marathon on April 21,2024.
In 2025, Tadese Takele from Ethiopia won the men’s race in 2 hours, 3 minutes and 23 seconds ahead of his compatriot Deresa Geleta (2:03:51) and Kenya’s Vincent Ngetich (2:04:00).
Kaptagat-based Kiplagat and Mutiso carry Kenya’s hope in the men’s race. Mutiso, who finished third in 2025 London Marathon behind Sebastian Sawe and Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo, is also remembered for staging a sprint finish against Benson Kipruto in New York Marathon before narrowly losing to his fellow countryman.
Vincent Ngetich (2:03:13), who was third last year behind Tadese and Deresa last year, is also in the mix. Throw in another Kaptagat-based athlete, Daniel Mateiko, who finished ninth in 2025 Boston Marathon in April last year, and you have a field teeming with talent.
The others are Amsterdam Marathon champion Geoffrey Toroitich (2:03:30), Michael Githae (2:07:55) and Vincent Yegon who competes over the distance for the first time.
Ethiopians will be led by defending champion Tadese, winner of 2024 Berlin Marathon Mengesha Milkesa who also won Shanghai Marathon last year.
Last year, Ethiopia’s Sutuma Asefa Kebede (2:16:31) won the title, with Kenya’s Winfridah Moraa (2:16:56) and Ethiopia’s Feysa Hawi (2:17:00) finished second and third, respectively.
This year, the women’s field has winners of the past four editions, and between them they hold the four fastest winning times in the history of the race.
Four of the athletes sit inside the top seven in the current world rankings, while five members of the field feature among the top 15 performers on the world all-time list according to World Athletics.
Defending champion Kebede has dominated recent editions of the race, winning in both 2024 and 2025. She set a course record of 2:15:55 in 2024, and followed it up with 2:16:31 last year.
Currently ranked fifth in the world, Kebede competes in her first marathon race since finishing 27th at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
Former world record holder Brigid Kosgei and former champion Rosemary Wanjiru will lead Kenya’s charge in the women’s competition.
Kosgei, who has changed her citizenship to Turkey but is still awaiting clearance from World Athletics, hopes to reclaim the title she won at the 2022 edition, where she clocked 2:16:20.
She is fresh from winning the 2025 Shanghai Marathon in 2:16:36 ahead of her compatriot Irene Cheptai (2:18:51) on November 30.
Wanjiru, who trains in Iten, finished second at the 2023 and 2024 editions of the race. Last year, she managed to emerge fifth.
“The race promises to be very competitive. It won’t be easy, but I’m heading there after good preparations and my target is to run a good race where I want to improve on my previous performance,” said Wanjiru.
Also in the mix is Viola Cheptoo, Pascalia Jepkogei and Grace Loibach. The race starts at 3.10am Kenyan time.
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