Wanjiru confirmed for Tokyo Marathon defense, Kipchoge to face Kenyan quartet

Kenyan long-distance runner Rosemary Wanjiru will be bidding to defend her Tokyo Marathon title as she is among the group of athletes confirmed to be taking part in the March 3 event this year.

Wanjiru, the 2023 Tokyo marathon winner in a time of 2:16:28, will be among 10 elite field athletes confirmed by the race organizers Tuesday who will go up against top-drawn Sifan Hassan whose participation in the 42.195 km event was confirmed late last year.

Joining Wanjiru, who announced herself in marathon majors with an impressive 2:18:00 debut in Berlin in 2022, will be joined by among others; Amane Beriso - winner of the World Athletics Championships marathon in Budapest last year, Israel’s Lorna Salpeter and Tigist Abayechew, who finished behind Wanjiru in Berlin in 2022.

The women’s field in total has 10 sub-2:20 athletes.

As for the men’s race, top draw Eliud Kipchoge will be joined by a quartet of Kenyans in Vincent Kipkemoi, Timothy Kiplangat, Benson Kipruto and Victor Kiplangat.

Tokyo Marathon up next for Eliud Kipchoge

The men’s field, which will see 11 sub-2:05 men, will be highlighted by Kipkemoi looking to pip the marathon specialist after finishing second to him in Berlin last year, with Kipruto in the center of another race with Kipchoge after finishing ahead of him in a third placed finish in last year’s Boston marathon.

As this is a Marathon Grand Championship (MGC) Final Challenge-eligible race, the involved Japanese will be competing for the final slot to represent Japan in the Paris Olympics' marathon.