Benson Kipruto is set to face tough opposition when he lines up to defend his 2024 Tokyo Marathon title on Sunday, March 2, 2025.

The Kenyan, who also set a Japanese all-comers’ record when winning in Tokyo last year in 2:02:16, will face Uganda’s Joshua Cheptegei, the world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder, who returns to the roads to contest his second marathon after his 2:08:59 debut in Valencia in 2023.

Kipruto’s opposition is not only posed by the Ugandan star, but six of the men he will face are sub-2:04 athletes. Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta, the Olympic fifth-place finisher and Valencia Marathon runner-up, who has a best of 2:02:38, plus two-time Tokyo Marathon winner Birhanu Legese, Tadese Takele, and Dawit Wolde, as well as Kenya’s Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, who was third last year, are the other contestants.

Ethiopia’s world bronze medallist Leul Gebresilase, Uganda’s Stephen Kissa, Japan’s Yohei Ikeda and Akira Akasaki, and Kenya’s Benard Koech, who makes his marathon debut, are the others who will line up to challenge Kipruto.

In the women’s race, Sutume Kebede, who is the defending champion, will face five other women who have dipped under 2:18 in a field that features a total of 11 sub-2:20 runners.

Brigid Kosgei and Rosemary Wanjiru are returning after their respective victories in 2022 and 2023.

Kenya’s former world record-holder, Kosgei, is the fastest in the field with her personal best of 2:14:04 set in Chicago in 2019, while her compatriot Wanjiru ran 2:16:14 when finishing runner-up to Kebede in Tokyo last year, as per World Athletics stats.

Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema, who ran 2:16:07 on her debut in Dubai just over a year ago, and multiple global gold medallist Tirunesh Dibaba, are the other contestants.

Ethiopia’s Hawi Feysa, who won in Frankfurt in October in 2:17:25, 2022 world champion Gotytom Gebreslase, and 2021 London Marathon runner-up Degitu Azimeraw have also been confirmed.

Elite men’s 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

Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:05:29

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

Benard Koech (KEN) debut

Geoffrey Toroitich (KEN) debut

Women

Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04

Sutume Kebede (ETH) 2:15:55

Tigist Ketema (ETH) 2:16:07

Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) 2:16:14

Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:17:25

Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) 2:17:56

Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 2:17:58

Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:18:11

Winfridah Moraa Moseti (KEN) 2:18:25

Mestawut Fikir (ETH) 2:18:48

Magdalyne Masai (KEN) 2:18:58

Ai Hosoda (JPN) 2:20:31

Desi Jisa Mokonin (BRN) 2:20:47

Yuka Ando (JPN) 2:21:18

Jessica Stenson (AUS) 2:24:01

Zhang Deshun (CHN) 2:24:05

Rie Kawauchi (JPN) 2:25:35

Kaori Morita (JPN) 2:26:31

Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh (MGL) 2:26:32

Shiho Kaneshige (JPN) 2:28:51