Tokyo Marathon: Benson Kipruto eyes history as he hopes to defend title

By , March 1, 2025

Kenya’s Benson Kipruto will be looking to become the first athlete to win back-to-back Tokyo Marathon titles since 2020 when he takes on a strong field on Sunday, March 2, 2025.

Kipruto set a Japanese all-comers’ record when winning in Tokyo last year in 2:02:16 and on Sunday will race against Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei. The Ugandan is the world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder and returns to the roads to contest his second marathon after his 2:08:59 debut in Valencia two years ago.

As he returns to the Japanese city, Kipruto, who became an Olympic bronze medallist in Paris, aims to become the first man to win back-to-back Tokyo Marathon titles since Birhanu Legese in 2019 and 2020.

Legase is among the athletes confirmed for the Sunday clash, and he has the chance to become the first three-time winner of the elite men’s race. The Ethiopian remains the ninth-fastest marathon runner in history with the personal best of 2:02:48 he set in Berlin in 2019, as per World Athletics.

Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta, the Olympic fifth-place finisher and Valencia Marathon runner-up who has a best of 2:02:38, 2023 Berlin Marathon third-place finisher Tadese Takele, this year’s Xiamen Marathon winner Dawit Wolde, and Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, who was third in Tokyo last year, will challenge Kipruto.

World bronze medallist Leul Gebresilase, Uganda’s Stephen Kissa, and Japan’s Yohei Ikeda and Akira Akasaki are the other contestants.

Men’s elite field

Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:02:16

Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:02:38

Birhanu Legese (ETH) 2:02:48

Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (KEN) 2:03:13

Tadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:24

Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48

Leul Gebresilase (ETH) 2:04:02

Stephen Kissa (UGA) 2:04:48

Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:04:49

Amedework Walelegn (ETH) 2:04:50

Titus Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:54

Yohei Ikeda (JPN) 2:05:12

Mulugeta Asefa Uma (ETH) 2:05:33

Ichitaka Yamashita (JPN) 2:05:51

Kenya Sonota (JPN) 2:05:59

Hiroto Inoue (JPN) 2:06:47

He Jie (CHN) 2:06:57

Vincent Raimoi (KEN) 2:07:01

Hendrik Pfeiffer (GER) 2:07:14

Akira Akasaki (JPN) 2:07:32

Suldan Hassan (SWE) 2:07:36

Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 2:08:59

Geoffrey Toroitich (KEN) debut

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