Challenges await Kipchoge at Tokyo Marathon 2024

The Tokyo Marathon - the first event in this year's six majors - taking place on March 3 - promises to be exciting as the second fastest marathon runner in history, Eliud Kipchoge, will compete with a series of strong compatriots.

At 39, Kipchoge is still the favorite to win the men's title at the 2024 Tokyo Marathon. The Kenyan has enjoyed great success in the Japanese capital, winning the 2020 Olympic gold medal in 2 hours, 8 minutes, 38 seconds. He also set a race record of 2 hours, 2 minutes, 40 seconds despite taking a wrong turn in his only previous Tokyo Marathon appearance in 2021.

The Tokyo Marathon is also one of four major races that Kipchoge has won, along with four times in London (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019), four times in Berlin (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022, 2023) and once in Chicago (2014). He has only failed to win Boston and New York - two races with steeper routes in the six most prestigious World Marathon Majors system.

Kipchoge won the 2021 Tokyo Marathon. Photo: AFP

This year, instead of going to London - where he has four titles, or Boston - where he failed to place sixth in 2023, Kipchoge chose Tokyo to start. This choice gives the Kenyan runner time to prepare for his goal of becoming the first athlete to win three marathon gold medals in three consecutive Olympics in Paris 2024.

Before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Kipchoge won the 2016 Rio Olympics with a time of 2 hours, 8 minutes, 44 seconds. He is the third runner to win the men's marathon in two consecutive Olympics, after Ethiopian Abebe Bikila (1960 and 1964) and East German Waldemar Cierpinski (1976 and 1980).

According to Canadian Running Magazine , what makes the Tokyo Marathon the perfect preparation race for Kipchoge is the timing and the competition. Tokyo 2024 takes place on March 3, giving the Kenyan runner nearly 23 weeks to rest, recover and prepare for the Paris Olympics. Tokyo is also a major, meaning he will face fierce competition, similar to Paris 2024.

However, the Tokyo Marathon and the Paris Olympics have few similarities. Tokyo is relatively flat but has many turns, while Paris is the opposite, with a route that is predicted to be unprecedentedly difficult, with a winding journey through the mountains leading to the Palace of Versailles, with a total elevation gain of more than 400 meters over a distance of 42.195 km.

Kipchoge arrived in Tokyo on February 27 to prepare for the first major tournament in 2024 there. Photo: NN Running

Kipchoge's reign as the "king" and his ambition to conquer Tokyo for the second time could be threatened by formidable opponents. Kipchoge will face challenges from his Kenyan compatriots Vincent Kipkemoi - who finished second in Berlin 2023 with a time of 2 hours 3 minutes 21 seconds and Timothy Kiplagat - who finished second in Rotterdam 2023 with a time of 2 hours 3 minutes 50 seconds.

Benson Kipruto, who has never run a sub-2:03 in his career, is perhaps the biggest threat in terms of experience. The Kenyan won the 2021 Prague Marathon in 2:10:16, the 2021 Boston Marathon in 2:9:51, and the 2022 Chicago Marathon in 2:4:24.

There is also a fierce battle for the third and final place in the Japanese athletics team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Naoki Koyama and Akira Akasaki secured the first two spots by finishing first and second, respectively, at the Grand Championship in Tokyo in October 2023. Suguru Osako, who clocked 2 hours 6 minutes 13 seconds at Tokyo 2023, will take the remaining spot for Paris 2024 if no Japanese athlete breaks the 2 hours 5 minutes 50 seconds mark - the standard set by the Japan Athletics Federation - at the Tokyo Marathon on March 3.

Ichitaka Yamashita and Kenya Sonota ran 2:05:51 and 2:05:59 respectively at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon, and both are returning to the race this year. Other contenders include Kengo Suzuki, who ran a personal best (PB) of 2:04:56, while Kyohei Hosoya and Kazuya Nishiyama both had PBs within 20 and 30 seconds of Osako's time.

"The presence of Kipchoge and his fellow sub-2:03 runners means the front-row of the Tokyo Marathon 2024 will be blazing fast, and it could give the home athletes dreaming of qualifying for the Olympics something special," commented the World Marathon Majors website. "As always, in an Olympic year, the little details will make this a race you can't take your eyes off."

Kipchoge (orange cap, left) during a training session with teammates in Kenya in late January 2024. Photo: NN Running

The Tokyo Marathon, which was launched in 2007, is the inaugural race of the 2024 World Marathon Majors season. The next races will be in Boston on April 15, London on April 21, Berlin on September 29, Chicago on October 13 and New York City on November 3.

The Tokyo Marathon men's record remains with Kipchoge at 2 hours 2 minutes 40 seconds in 2021, while Kenya's Brigid Kosgei set the women's record at 2 hours 16 minutes 2 seconds in 2021.

Hong Duy

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