The Tokyo Marathon is the first race of the year on the Marathon Majors calendar, taking place in March. Read on to find out more about the history of the race, the course records and the average finish times for amateurs.
History of the Tokyo Marathon
Known for its near-enough pancake flat course, the inaugural Tokyo Marathon took place in 2007. From the outset, Tokyo was a huge event. In that first year, over 77,000 runners applied for a spot on the start line – with 26,058 lucky participants actually getting to start the race.
2011 saw Tokyo Marathon launch its own charity initiative – Run with Heart. In 2013, Tokyo became part of the Marathon Majors series. It was the first new addition since the Majors were introduced in 2006, and the first Marathon Major in Asia. 2017 saw an update to the course – now finishing in the iconic Marunouchi central business district. The race also served as the Japanese Olympic trial for the 2020 Olympic games.
Tokyo Marathon course records
While Tokyo Marathon is flat, and known for fast times, the current marathon world records weren’t set here.
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 a 2:02:40 in 2022.
Sutume Asefa Kebede holds the women’s course record in Tokyo, with her finish time of 2:15:55 from the 2024 race. She beat the previous record of 2:16:02, set by Brigid Kosgei in 2021, by 7 seconds.
Both Kebede and Kipruto will return to the Tokyo Marathon in 2025 to defend their titles. All eyes on the clock to see if they beat their own course records in the process!
Average Tokyo Marathon finish times for amateur runners
In 2007, the average finish time at the Tokyo Marathon was between 4 and 5 hours – with the second most common time falling between 5 and 6 hours. The inaugural race had a 96.3% completion rate, with a gender ratio of 77.7% men, 22.3% women. Just 2% of the field went under 3hrs – and only 16 of those were women.
Comparatively, in 2024 the average finish time remained between 4 and 5 hours. However, the second most common finish time has now fallen into the sub-4 hour category. Showing that runners have become faster over the years. The completion rate has also increased slightly – with 96.6% of the field making it to the finish within the cut off time in 2024. The gender balance has improved slightly, with the field now being 75.3% men and 24.7% women. Sub-3 hour finishes have also increased – with 5.1% of the field (which is now ~10,000 participants larger) going sub-3. 132 women finished under 3 hours in 2024.
How to qualify for the Tokyo Marathon
The main method of entry for the Tokyo Marathon is to enter the lottery/ballot. Unlike Boston Marathon, you do not need to have achieved a specific finish time in a marathon to be eligible for the ballot. However, there also isn’t a good for age/fast qualifying times program. So if you want to get a guaranteed place – you’ll have to explore the charity route or pay the premium to go with a tour operator.
Get more details on how to get a place at the Tokyo Marathon and the other Marathon Majors in our in-depth guide.
When is the 2025 Tokyo Marathon?
Tokyo Marathon 2025 is set to take place on Sunday 2 March, starting at 9.10am local time (12.10am UK time / 7.10pm 1 March ET). Over 37,000 runners are set to take to the start line – including defending champions Benson Kipruto and Sutume Asefa Kebede.
Click here for our in-depth race preview which talks you through the key contenders in the elite racing and how to tune in live.
