The World Marathon Majors (WMM) is a championship-style event for marathon runners that debuted in 2006. It is sometimes known as the Abbott World Marathon Majors for sponsorship reasons. The series is a points-based competition built around the six major marathons regarded to be the most prestigious on the calendar, including annual races in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York. Furthermore, each edition of the series acknowledges and incorporates the results of the main global championship marathon conducted that year, usually on a one-time lapped course.

The Tokyo Marathon is among the six World Marathon Majors. It has been run every year since 2007 with the exception of 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced it to be an elite-only event. In 2021, it was postponed to 2022 owing to the pandemic’s prolonged consequences. The Tokyo Marathon took the place of the Tokyo International Marathon, which was staged in even years from 1980 to 2006, and the Tokyo – New York Friendship International Marathon, which was conducted in odd years.

Read more: Winners of the World Marathon Majors In the Men’s Event in 2022

Athletes who have claimed the title of Tokyo Marathon in the elite men’s and women’s categories

The 2023 edition of the Tokyo Marathon took place on March 5, 2023. This was the 16th iteration of the competition. The world athletics had given the competition the recognition of a Platinum level event for this edition. Around 38,000 runners, including Japanese and overseas athletes, took part in the competition. In the men’s category, Deso Gelmisa of Ethiopia claimed the marathon title, while Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru won the women’s division. In the wheelchair event, Marcel Hug of Switzerland won the competition with a timing of 1:20:57. While the women’s event was won by Manuela Schär, another Swiss athlete.

In the last edition of the event, Eliud Kipchoge who is regarded as the greatest marathoner of all time, achieved the course record, with a timing of 2:02:40. The women’s elite record was also shattered last year as Brigid Kosgei of Kenya smashed it, clocking 2:16:02. As the event has been successfully conducted on March 5, 2023, Sunday, let’s take a dive into the history of the event. We will look at all the winners of the Tokyo Marathon in the elite categories since its commencement.

Year Men’s winner Time Women’s winner Time 2007 Daniel Njenga (Kenya) 2:09:45 Hitomi Niiya (Japan) 2:31:01 2008 Viktor Röthlin (Switzerland) 2:07:23 Claudia Dreher (Germany) 2:35:35 2009 Salim Kipsang (Kenya) 2:10:27 Mizuho Nasukawa (Japan) 2:25:38 2010 Masakazu Fujiwara (Japan) 2:12:19 Alevtina Biktimirova (Russia) 2:34:39 2011 Hailu Mekonnen (Ethiopia) 2:07:35 Noriko Higuchi (Japan) 2:28:49 2012 Michael Kipyego (Kenya) 2:07:37 Atsede Habtamu (Ethiopia) 2:25:28 2013 Dennis Kimetto (Kenya) 2:06:50 Aberu Kebede (Ethiopia) 2:25:34 2014 Dickson Chumba (Kenya) 2:05:42 Tirfi Tsegaye (Ethiopia) 2:22:23 2015 Endeshaw Negesse (Ethiopia) 2:06:00 Birhane Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2:23:15 2016 Feyisa Lilesa (Ethiopia) 2:06:56 Helah Kiprop (Kenya) 2:21:27 2017 Wilson Kipsang (Kenya) 2:03:58 Sarah Chepchirchir (Kenya) 2:19:47 2018 Dickson Chumba (Kenya) 2:05:30 Birhane Dibaba (Ethiopia) 2:19:51 2019 Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) 2:04:48 Ruti Aga (Ethiopia) 2:20:40 2020 Birhanu Legese (Ethiopia) 2:04:15 Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (Israel) 2:17:45 2022 Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya) 2:02:40 CR Brigid Kosgei (Kenya) 2:16:02 CR 2023 Deso Gelmisa (Ethiopia) 2:05:22 Rosemary Wanjiru (Kenya) 2:16:28

(CR refers to Course Record. The course record refers to the record established in that particular route in its history.)

Read more: Tokyo Marathon 2023: Find Out the Winners and Complete Results