The Tokyo Marathon is one of six World Marathon Majors and has been contested annually since 2007, except in 2020 when it was an elite-only race due to the COVID-19 pandemic and in 2021, when the marathon was postponed to 2022 due to the continuing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tokyo Marathon replaced two previous marathons in Tokyo, the Tokyo International Marathon which took place in even years from 1980 to 2006, and the Tokyo - New York Friendship International Marathon which took place in odd years. Ethiopia is tied with Kenya for the most Tokyo Marathon winners of any country, with 12 wins among 10 distinct winners (five men and five women), while Kenya has been represented by the most winners in the men's race with eight wins among seven distinct winners, in addition to four winners in the women's race. Japan has the most wins in the wheelchair race, with 12 wins among five distinct winners on the men's side and 11 wins among two distinct winners on the women's side.
Key: Course record (in bold)
Country | Male victories | Female victories | Men's Wheelchair | Women's Wheelchair | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japan | 1 | 3 | 12 | 11 | 27 |
Ethiopia | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Kenya | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
Switzerland | 1 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 7 |
Australia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Germany | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Israel | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Russia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
United States | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
The Fukuoka International Marathon is an IAAF Gold Label international men's marathon race held in Fukuoka, Japan. It was previously known as the Fukuoka International Open Marathon Championship between 1947 and 2021, when it was announced the race would be discontinued on its 75th edition. However, due to popular support, a successor race, inheriting the tradition and course of the original marathon, was established the next year.
The Prague Marathon is an annual road marathon held in the city of Prague in the Czech Republic each May. It was founded in 1995 and has grown to become a significant event, being awarded IAAF Gold Label status. Prague's marathon course has been voted one of the most beautiful in the world.
The World Marathon Majors (WMM) is a championship-style competition for marathon runners that started in 2006. A points-based competition founded on six major marathon races recognised as the most high-profile on the calendar, the series comprises annual races for the cities of Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. In addition, each edition of the series recognises and includes the results of the major global championship marathon held in that year, usually on a one-off lapped course. These races are the biennial World Athletics Championships Marathon, and the quadrennial Olympic Games Marathon.
The World Athletics Road Running Championships is a biennial international road running competition organised by World Athletics. The competition was launched as the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1992 and held annually until 2010. It was renamed the IAAF World Road Running Championships in 2006 and reduced in distance to a 20K run, but reverted to the half marathon distance the following year and to the original competition name the year after that. The competition was renamed to its current title in 2020 after the governing body rebranded itself moving away from the long-standing International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) moniker and expanded to include additional races.
The Canberra Times Marathon Festival is an annual marathon held in the city of Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. The marathon was established in 1976 and is the oldest city marathon in Australia. The marathon was initially held on November before being moved to April in 1979.
The Tokyo Marathon is an annual marathon sporting event in Tokyo, Japan. It is a World Athletics Platinum Label marathon and one of the six World Marathon Majors. The latest edition of the race took place on 3 March 2024. It is sponsored by Tokyo Metro.
The Riga Marathon is an annual road marathon held in Riga, Latvia, since 1991. A flat, single-lap marathon course in the Baltics' largest city. The marathon course has been measured and certified by AIMS, the Association of International Marathons and Distance Races and is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics. All courses are traffic-free. Rimi Riga Marathon is one of the fastest-growing marathons in Northern Europe. In 2019, there were 25 659 participants over five different distances from 82 countries.
EDP Lisbon Half Marathon is an annual international half marathon competition which is contested every March in Lisbon, Portugal. It carries IAAF Gold Label Road Race status. The men's course record of 57:31 was set by Jacob Kiplimo in 2021, which is the current world record for the half marathon distance. Kenyan runners have been very successful in the competition, accounting for over half of the total winners, with Tegla Loroupe taking the honours in the women's race on six separate occasions. The Lisbon Half Marathon is not to be confused with Luso Portugal Half Marathon, another prominent half marathon race which is also held in Lisbon in October.
The Zurich Barcelona Marathon, formerly the Marathon Catalunya and later the Marató de Catalunya, is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195 km (26.219 mi) usually held in March in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, and first held in 1978 in Palafrugell, Catalonia. The marathon is categorized as a Silver Label Road Race by World Athletics.
The Valencia Marathon is an annual marathon road running event hosted by Valencia, Spain, since 1981. It is categorized as a Platinum Label Road Race by World Athletics. The race is organised by the Valencian sports club SD Correcaminos, which also organises the annual Valencia Half Marathon.
The Kyiv Half Marathon is an annual road running event over the half marathon distance which is held in April on the streets of Kyiv, Ukraine since 2011. In 2015 Kyiv half marathon became a full member of the AIMS. It carries World Athletics Silver Label Road Race status. The race is part of the Run Ukraine Running League, an annual series of races held in Ukrainian cities.
Lawrence Cherono is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He is currently the 8th fastest marathon performer of all time with his 2:03:04 clocking at the 2020 Valencia Marathon. He clocked 2:04:06 to win the Amsterdam Marathon on October 21, 2018. He also won the Amsterdam Marathon in 2017, running a time of 2:05:09, setting the course record, which he broke in 2018.
The Guangzhou Marathon is an annual marathon race held in December in the city of Guangzhou, China, since 2012. The marathon is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics.
The 2020 Tokyo Marathon was the fourteenth edition of the annual marathon race in Tokyo, and was held on Sunday, 1 March. A World Athletics Platinum Label Road Race, it was the first World Marathon Majors event held that year. Last year's winner, Birhanu Legese, successfully defended his title by winning with a time of 2:04:15, while Lonah Chemtai Salpeter set a new course record as well as a new Israeli national record by winning with a time of 2:17:45. The men's wheelchair race was won by Japanese racer Tomoki Suzuki, and the women's wheelchair race was won by Japanese racer Tsubasa Kina, both setting course records in their victory. Women's winner Tsubasa Kina also went on to win the following year's 2021 Tokyo Marathon
The 2020 London Marathon was the 40th running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on 4 October 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race was postponed from 26 April and only allowed elite participants; the mass participation event was cancelled. The event used a different course from usual, consisting of multiple laps around St James's Park.
The 2021 New York City Marathon, the 50th running of that city's premier long-distance race, was held on November 7, 2021. Around 30,000 people ran in the event, of whom 25,020 finished. The race followed its traditional route, which passes through all five boroughs of New York City.
The 2021 Tokyo Marathon was the fifteenth edition of the annual marathon race in Tokyo. The competition was held on Sunday 6 March 2022, having been postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The elite events were won by Kenyans Eliud Kipchoge and Brigid Kosgei respectively, whilst the wheelchair races were won by Swiss athlete Marcel Hug and Japanese competitor Tsubasa Kina. Around 20,000 people competed in the mass participation event.
The 2021 London Marathon was the 41st running of the annual London Marathon on 3 October 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the race was postponed from April until October to maximise the chances of a mass participation event.
Philemon Rono, nicknamed the "baby police", is a Kenyan long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. He holds the Canadian all-comers' record in the marathon, having run the fastest marathon ever in Canada of 2:05:00 to win the 2019 Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Rono is a three-time winner of this marathon, having won the race in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
The 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships took place in Riga, Latvia, on 1 October 2023. As the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships, they included the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships, which were last held in 2020. A flat, single-lap marathon course in the Baltics' largest city. All courses were traffic-free.