On Sunday, March 5, the Tokyo Marathon will kick off the 2023 World Marathon Majors (WMM) series, the most prestigious road racing circuit. While the 2022 race saw two course records thanks to Eliud Kipchoge (2:02:40) and Brigid Kosgei (2:16:02), this year’s race will leave room for new stars to emerge.
The defending champions in the men’s and women’s race won’t be returning, but the elite field is still stacked with talent. On the men’s side, six runners have personal bests under 2:05 with several coming off breakthrough victories in marathons outside of the WMM series. And the women’s race includes six athletes who have notched personal bests under 2:19. If you can’t be in the Japanese capital, there are still plenty of opportunities to keep up on race day. Here’s all the info you need to follow the Tokyo Marathon this weekend.
How to watch the 2023 Tokyo Marathon
FloTrack will be live streaming the race in the United States and Canada. A subscription is required. The race will be broadcast locally on Fuji Television.
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Where: The race begins next to Shinjuku Central Park located just outside of Tokyo and ends in the heart of the Japanese capital next to Chiyoda City.
When: The wheelchair race starts on Sunday, March 6, at 9:05 a.m. (Saturday at 7:05 p.m. EST). The marathon begins at 9:10 a.m. (Saturday at 7:10 p.m. ET).
Streaming and Broadcast Schedule
Considering Tokyo is 14 hours ahead for those on the east coast, the Tokyo Marathon will be broadcast live on Saturday, March 4, starting at 7:10 p.m. EST. The FloTrack live stream is available to viewers in the U.S. and Canada.
Storylines to follow at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon
The fastest man in the elite field, Sisay Lemma, will be looking to add another WMM victory to his resume. Two years ago, Lemma had a breakthrough performance when he won the 2021 London Marathon in 2:04:01, his first major victory. He wasn’t able to replicate that same level of success in 2022—he DNF’d in Boston and finished seventh in London—but Tokyo could present a comeback opportunity for the Ethiopian.
A handful of strong contenders will be gunning for podium spots alongside Lemma in the men’s race. CyBrian Kotut of Kenya just won the 2022 Hamburg Marathon, Deso Gelmisa of Ethiopia claimed the title at the 2022 Paris Marathon, and Titus Kipruto of Kenya was victorious at the 2022 Milano Marathon. Likely joining them up front will be 2021 New York City Marathon runner-up Mohamed El Aaraby of Morocco.
Cam Levins is also poised to throw down a standout performance after breaking the Canadian record in the half marathon three weeks ago. The Southern Utah University alum already owns the Canadian record in the marathon (2:07:09), which he achieved on his way to a fourth-place finish at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, last summer.
As Tokyo race director, Tadaaki Hayano pointed out in the elite race preview, several Japanese runners are aiming to break the country’s national record on Sunday. The current record-holder, Kengo Suzuki (2:04:56) will lead that group after finishing fourth in last year’s race.
The women’s race is stacked up front with six women who have run under 2:19, including Ashete Bekere, the fastest athlete in the field. The Ethiopian runner won the 2019 Berlin Marathon, and she’s collected several WMM podium finishes since, including a silver medal at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon, where she set her 2:17:58 personal best.
After finishing on the podium at the 2022 Berlin Marathon, Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya and Tigist Abayechew of Ethiopia will be key competitors fighting for podium spots.
Japan will be represented by four contenders who have run under 2:24, including Mao Ichiyama. She holds the fastest time among the group (2:20:29) and was sixth at the 2022 Tokyo Marathon.
After notching a 2:24:35 personal best at the 2022 Gold Coast Marathon, Lindsay Flanagan will make her way to Tokyo as the sole American in the elite field. Flanagan will be looking to build on a strong 2022 season, which also included an 11th-place finish in the New York City Marathon and a 10th-place finish in the Paris Marathon.
Taylor Dutch is a writer and editor living in Austin, Texas, and a former NCAA track athlete who specializes in fitness, wellness, and endurance sports coverage. Her work has appeared in Runner’s World, SELF, Bicycling, Outside, and Podium Runner.
