Tokyo kicks off Eliud Kipchoge's race to Olympic greatness

Legendary long-distance runner Eliud Kipchoge opens his season on the streets of Tokyo on Sunday,  where he will be out to reclaim the title he won in 2022.

The two-time Olympics marathon champion has been training in his Kaptagat base in Elgeyo Marakwet as he bids to start his season in the Japanese capital perfectly before he returns home to prepare for the Paris Olympic Games, where he will be chasing immortality.

Kipchoge is bidding to be the first man to win the Olympic marathon gold three times.

The 39-year-old Kenyan, widely considered the Greatest Marathon runner of All Time, won the 2022 Tokyo Marathon in a new course record time of 2:02:40.

Kipchoge did not return to defend his Tokyo Marathon title last year, opting to run in Boston, where he finished sixth in a race won by compatriot Evans Chebet.

In Kipchoge's absence in Tokyo, the Kenyans failed to make the podium, with Ethiopian runners sweeping the top three positions.

Tokyo Marathon is the first of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors in the athletics calendar. The others are London, Boston, Berlin, New York and Chicago marathons.

Last year, Ethiopian Delso Gelmisa won the Tokyo Marathon in 2:05:22 ahead of Mohamed Esa, who also timed 2:05:22. Tsegaye Getachew sealed the podium in 2:05:25. Kenya’s Titus Kipruto came in fourth place after running clocking 2:05:32.

Vincent Ng'etich (2:03:13), Timothy Kiplagat (2:03:50), Benson Kipruto (2:04:02), Bethwel Kibet (2:04:37), Bedan Karoki (2:06:15), Michael Githae (2:07:08) and Simon Kariuki (2:07:18) are the other Kenyans in this year's field in Tokyo.

World and Commonwealth Games marathon champion Victor Kiplangat from Uganda, who has a personal best of 2:05:09, Ethiopians Hailemaryam Kiros (2:04:41), Andualem Belay (2:04:44), Tsegaye Getachew (2:04:49) and Chalu Deso (2:04:53) are some of the top athletes in the race.

Kipchoge said the race is part of his preparations for the Olympics.

“Tokyo Marathon has the best course and the weather is suitable for the sport. I will be competing as part of preparations for the Olympic Games where I want to run an impressive race,” said Kipchoge.

In the women's category, defending champion Rosemary Wanjiru, who has a personal best of 2:16:28, has a battle in her hands as a strong field which includes Netherland’s Sifan Hassan (2:13:44) and Ethiopia’s Beriso Amane (2:14:58), awaits. Could a world record be in the offing?

Others in the start list are Israeli’s Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (2:17:45), Ethiopians Tigist Abayechew (2:18:03), Asefa Kebede (2:18:12), Buzunesh Getachew (2:19:27) and Meseret Abebayahau (2:19:50), Tanzania’s Magdalena Shauri (2:18:41) among others.

“The race looks competitive because there are athletes who have done better times than me but I believe we have all trained well. My target here is to clock a new personal best,” said Wanjiru, who has been training in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.