Benson Kipruto and Sutume Kebede will return to defend their titles at the 2025 Tokyo Marathon on March 2, organizers announced on Thursday.
Kipruto seeks his second straight win in Tokyo after surging to an early lead in last year’s race and pushing the pace to a 2:02:16 finish, which was a new record for any marathon in Japan — and the second fastest time in 2024. At the Paris Olympics last August, he won the bronze in the men’s marathon in 2:07:00.
He will have plenty of company on the course as Joshua Cheptegi — the world record holder in the 5,000m and 10,1000m — Deresa Geleta and Vincent Ngetich join a field where the first 12 men in the announced group have all run person bests under 2:05.
Meanwhile, the women’s pro group will feature its own intersting dynamic as Kebede will be among the last three Tokyo champions who will be at the start line in March. Rosemary Wanjiru won in 2023 and Brigid Kosgei took the win in 2022, as they lead a competitive field that will include Tigist Ketema and Hawi Feysa.
Kebede’s 2:15:55 win last year set a Japanese record and she came in second in 2:17:32 at the Chicago Marathon last October as Ruth Chepngetich set a new world record in 2:09:56 on the same course.
