- The World Marathon Majors series for 2026 gets underway on Sunday, March 1, as elite men’s and women’s stars hit the streets for the Tokyo Marathon 2026 in Japan.
- The spectacle will be headlined by defending champions Sutume Asefa Kebede and Tadese Takele, with Kenya’s Alexander Munyao also firmly in the mix.
- The elite men’s and women’s races will set off at 9:10 a.m. JST (3:10 a.m. EAT), with the 10.7km event starting at the same time.
The World Marathon Majors series for 2026 kicks off on Sunday, March 1, as elite men’s and women’s athletes hit the road for the Tokyo Marathon 2026 in Japan.
It’s shaping up to be an electrifying showdown, with Kenya represented by stars like Alexander Munyao, the 2024 London Marathon champion.
He arrives with a personal best of 2:03:11 as he prepares to make his Tokyo Marathon debut, aiming to bounce back after finishing third in London in 2025.
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Tokyo Maratho 2026 men’s category preview
He clocked that PB when he took second in Valencia in 2023, and late last year he narrowly missed victory at the 2025 New York City Marathon, crossing the line in 2:08:09 as Benson Kipruto edged him out in a photo finish decided by mere microseconds.
Munyao will go head-to-head with defending champion Tadese Takele, who headlines a men’s field stacked with depth and experience.
The former steeplechase specialist, African silver medallist in 2022, has transitioned seamlessly to the marathon in recent seasons.
The Ethiopian International, will be eyeing a men’s double, just as Legese achieved in 2019 and 2020. Takele clocked 2:03:24 on his debut over the distance to place third in Berlin in 2023 before improving to 2:03:23 in his Tokyo triumph last year.
The pair will also face stiff competition from Kenya’s Timothy Kiplagat, the fastest entrant on paper with a PB of 2:02:55, set when he finished second in Tokyo in 2024 during the race that produced the course record of 2:02:16.
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His most recent outing saw him place 12th at the Chicago Marathon last October, while his last marathon victory came in Dubai in 2022.
Meanwhile, Milkesa Mengesha, winner of the 2024 Berlin Marathon in a PB of 2:03:17 also lines up after claiming victory at the Shanghai Marathon late last year.
The Ethiopian currently sits fourth in the world rankings, making him the highest-ranked contender in the field.
Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich, third in Tokyo for the past two years, owns a PB of 2:03:13 set when he was runner-up in Berlin in 2023.
His fellow Kenyan Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba finished sixth in Tokyo last year in his first completed marathon before going on to triumph in Amsterdam in a PB of 2:03:30.
Tokyo Marathon 2026 women’s category preview
Over in the women’s category, former world record-holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya returns seeking a second Tokyo title.
The 2021 Olympic silver medallist still ranks fifth on the world all-time list thanks to her 2:14:04 performance, a world record at the time from 2019.
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She showed strong form last year by winning in Shanghai in 2:16:36, her fastest marathon since her Tokyo victory in 2022, and now bids to become just the third woman to win the race twice.
On this track, she will have to contend with defending champion Sutume Kebede, who 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 with 2:16:31 the following year.
Currently ranked fifth in the world, Kebede returns for her first marathon since finishing 27th at the World Championships in Tokyo and will be eager to rediscover her winning form.
Other entrants on the start list include Rosemary Wanjiru, the 2023 Tokyo champion, who finished runner-up in 2024 in a PB of 2:16:14 before placing fifth last year and later claiming victory at the Berlin Marathon.
Here are the key details to know ahead of the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday in Japan:
What time will the Tokyo Marathon 2026 kick off?
The 2026 Tokyo Marathon takes place on Sunday, March 1, with 38,500 participants expected to line up for the start of the full 42.195km marathon, while 500 runners will compete in the 10.7km run.
Kickoff is set for the first race – the Marathon Wheelchair and wheelchair 10.7km race will start at 9:05 a.m. JST / 3:05 a.m. EAT.
Then the elite men and women will get underway at 9:10 a.m. JST / 3:10 a.m. EAT, with the 10.7km race starting simultaneously.
How to watch the Tokyo Marathon 2026
The Tokyo Marathon will be broadcast live on Nippon Television in Japan (terrestrial broadcasting, nationwide network), while TVer, Hulu, and NTV Free! (TADA) will stream online.
Eurosport holds the rights to broadcast and livestream in many territories across Europe, with Canal+ in France, FloTrack streaming the race in the US, and coverage on ESPN International as well.
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Tokyo Marathon records ahead of the 2026 edition
The current Tokyo Marathon course record for men is held by Benson Kipruto, who ran a time of 2:02:16 in 2024. His finish time was 24 seconds faster than the previous record held by Eliud Kipchoge, who ran 2:02:40 in 2022.
Sutume Kebede holds the women’s course record in Tokyo, with her finish time of 2:15:55 from that 2024 race. She beat the previous record of 2:16:02, set by Brigid Kosgei in 2021 (the race was actually held in 2022 due to COVID), by seven seconds.
What’s at stake for Alexander Munyao and other Kenyan representatives at the Tokyo Marathon 2026?
There’s plenty on the line at Tokyo 2026.
The winner in both the men’s and women’s races will walk away with $80,000 (approximately KSh 10.3 million at the time of writing), while the second-place finishers will take home $30,000 (KSh 3.8 million), and the third-place finishers will receive $15,000 (KSh 1.9 million).
Meanwhile, a $200,000 (KSh 25.7 million) bonus is up for grabs for anyone who breaks the world record.
The men’s record stands at 2:00:35, set by Kelvin Kiptum in Chicago in 2023, while Ruth Chepng’etich holds the women’s record of 2:09:56.
Tokyo Marathon 2026 Leading entries
Women
- Brigid Kosgei (KEN) 2:14:04
- Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:14:57
- Sutume Asefa Kebede (ETH) 2:15:55
- Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) 2:16:14
- Megertu Alemu (ETH) 2:16:34
- Bertukan Welde (ETH) 2:17:56
- Mestawut Fikir (ETH) 2:18:48
- Mekides Shimeles (ETH) 2:19:56
- Aberu Ayana (ETH) 2:20:20
- Waganesh Mekasha (ETH) 2:20:26
- Ai Hosoda (JPN) 2:20:31
- Azmera Gebru (ETH) 2:20:48
- Sara Hall (USA) 2:20:32
- Viola Cheptoo (KEN) 2:21:40
- Pascalia Jepkogei (KEN) 2:22:47
- Yumi Yoshikawa (JPN) 2:25:20
- Grace Loibach Nawowuna (KEN) debut
Men
- Timothy Kiplagat (KEN) 2:02:55
- Alexander Mutiso Munyao (KEN) 2:03:11
- Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (KEN) 2:03:13
- Milkesa Mengesha (ETH) 2:03:17
- Tadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:23
- Geoffrey Toroitich Kipchumba (KEN) 2:03:30
- Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48
- Daniel Mateiko (KEN) 2:04:24
- Seifu Tura (ETH) 2:04:29
- Chalu Deso Gelmisa (ETH) 2:04:53
- Suguru Osako (JPN) 2:04:55
- Kengo Suzuki (JPN) 2:04:56
- Selemon Barega (ETH) 2:05:15
- Shifera Tamru (ETH) 2:05:18
- Cam Levins (CAN) 2:05:36
- Ryota Kondo (JPN) 2:05:39
- Suldan Hassan (SWE) 2:05:57
- Muktar Edris (ETH) 2:05:59
- Tsubasa Ichiyama (JPN) 2:06:00
- Iliass Aouani (ITA) 2:06:06
- Simon Kariuki (KEN) 2:06:29