Champions will go head-to-head when the first Abbott World Marathon Major of 2026 takes place in Tokyo on Sunday.
With the prospect of history being made, more than 2,000 Six Star Finishers and the weather set fair, the first race in AWMM’s 20th year looks set to be a cracker.
When the Majors started in 2006, the Tokyo race had not even got off the drawing board. It would be another year before it made its appearance on the world scene and six more before it was granted Majors status.
It is now the place some of the very best in the world come to test themselves, and there is a battalion of talent ready to take to its streets this weekend.
Three-peat for Kebede?
The women’s race is arguably the pick of the events with Sutume Kebede on the brink of creating history.
The Ethiopian athlete is aiming for a third win in succession in Tokyo, something no other runner has achieved.
And few would bet against her. After breaking the course record in 2024, Kebede backed that up 12 months later, crossing the line in 2:16:31 – 25 seconds ahead of the rest of the field.
Hawi Feysa and Rosemary Wanjiru finished third and fifth respectively that day but both went on win Majors in 2025, at Chicago and Berlin respectively. Both should be in the shake up on Sunday.
Former world record holder Brigid Kosgei will add some star power to the field and it would be quite a story if she ended her Majors drought on the same course she last triumphed on in 2022.
Takele eyes Tokyo double
The men’s race appears to be a three-way contest between last year’s winner Tadese Takele, New York runner-up Alex Mutiso and Milkesa Mengesha, who won in Berlin 18 months ago.
Takele, who is just 23, clocked 2:03:23 when he won here in 2025 – the fifth-fastest time ever run in Tokyo. He finished 28 seconds ahead of compatriot Deresa Geleta.
Takele is bidding to be only the second runner to go back-to-back in Tokyo, following Birhanu Legese, who won in 2019 and 2020.
Takele will be pushed all the way by Mutiso, who won in London two years ago and was narrowly denied by Benson Kipruto in a thrilling photo finish in New York in November.
The Kenyan makes his debut in Tokyo alongside Milkesa Mengesha who won the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON in 2024. He comes into Tokyo in good form having won in Shanghai at the end of November.
Local interest will focus on Suguru Osako, who set a new national record of 2:04:55 at the Valencia Marathon in December.
Former record holder Kengo Suzuki will also run alongside Ryota Kondo and Tsubasa Ichiyama, who impressed in the 2024 Olympics and 2025 World Championships respectively.
More history for Hug?
In the wheelchair field, Marcel Hug is the leading name in the men’s race as he looks to complete a calendar clean sweep.
The Swiss athlete heads to Tokyo having won every Major since Boston and victory would see him become the first person since Sydney became a Major to hold all seven titles.
However, local hero and last year’s winner Tomoki Suzuki will be hoping to have something to say about the outcome.
The women’s race pits Elite Series champion Susannah Scaroni against Catherine Debrunner in an intriguing head-to-head battle.
Scaroni was the leading athlete last year but it was Debrunner who came out on top when the pair raced each other in Tokyo 12 months ago.
Elsewhere, Manuela Schär, a four-time winner in Tokyo, has tasted victory as recently as September in Berlin, while Madison de Rozario, a Major winner and Paralympic champion, is set to return. Britain’s Eden Rainbow-Cooper, a winner in Boston two years ago, will also hope to be in the mix.
Six Stars shine bright
A total of 2,159 athletes will complete their Six Star Journey on Sunday in Tokyo. Of those, 1,226 are male, 930 are female and three are non-binary.
Eighty-seven nationalities will be represented with 805 runners coming from the USA, 203 from Great Britain and 108 from Canada.
Four runners from Azerbaijan, Grenada, Malawi and San Marino will create history by becoming their nation’s first Six Star Finishers.
The oldest finisher on Sunday will be 82 years and 11 months and the youngest 21 years and seven months.
Sixty-seven runners will complete their Six Star Journey for at least a second time.
Completing a day of celebration, six runners will celebrate their birthday by getting their Six Star Medal.
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