TOKYO, JAPAN, March 03 — Sutume Asefa’s speedy start to the Olympic year continued at the Tokyo Marathon and she ran away from a strong field to a 2:15:55 win, a course record on the World Marathon Major Tokyo course and the 10th fastest on the All-Time women’s list.
Aside from running the fastest women’s marathon ever in Japan, Asefa prevailed over a trio of champion runners with defending Tokyo champ Rosemary Wanjiru finishing 2nd in 2:16:14, reigning world champ Amane Beriso 3rd in 2:16:58, and previously unbeaten-in-the-marathon Sifan Hassan 4th in 2:18:05.
Betsy Saina made a quick recovery from her DNF at the U.S. Trials to finish 5th in 2:19:17, the No. 3 all-time run by an American woman.
As much as this was a battle between proven winners, there was precious little drama as the pacers stuck close to the targeted 3:14 kilometer clip.
The opening downhill 5K was covered in a cautious 16:16, then quickened just a bit to reach 10K in 32:24 (2:16:43 pace) with Asefa and Wanjiru running between the two male pacers. Beriso and Hassan skimmed along a stride back, with Saina at the rear of a pack of a couple dozen sub-elite men.
The steady pace continued crossing 15K in 48:38, and by the time the lead trio of Asefa, Wanjiru and Beriso passed 20K in 64:45 (2:16:36 pace), Hassan had slipped to the back of the group, with Saina off the back.
After crossing halfway in 68:15 with Asefa clipping at the heels of the two pacers, the hares delivered a 15:58 next-5K segment before stepping aside at 25K (1:20:43 — 2:16:14 pace).
Unexpectedly, Hassan also stepped aside at the 25K aid station, then backtracked.
“I missed my bottle at 25K and turned back to get it,” Hassan posted. “Unfortunately, after that, I was not able to close the gap with the first group. Once again the marathon taught me valuable lessons.”
Hassan’s hopes for a more normal race were dashed at 25K and one lesson learned is that running down a lead pack at 2:18:33 pace like she did in London is one thing, catching a group accelerating toward 2:16 is another.
Up front, the lead trio kept up a high tempo through a 16:00-flat 5K segment, passing 30K in 1:36:43 (2:16:02 pace) with Hassan 15 seconds in arrears.
Right on cue, Beriso went to the front. The 32-year-old Ethiopian won her last two marathons in dominating fashion, shocking Letesenbet Gidey to run 2:14:58 in Valencia ‘23, then taking control of a tactical Budapest WC race at 30K.
Beriso split 15:59 for the 5K to 35K (1:52:42), dropping to 2:15:52 pace. Wanjiru and Asefa never wavered, and Beriso powered down at 37K. After negotiating the last of four U-turns on the course, it was down to a two-woman race.
The 29-year-old Wanjiru was the local favorite, having come up through Japanese school and corporate teams dating back to 2011. Following her marathon debut (2:18:00 for 2nd at Berlin in ’22), she delighted her adopted nation in winning Tokyo last year.
But 29-year-old Ethiopian Asefa had started 2024 hot with a U.S. all-comers 64:37 half-marathon victory in Houston and like Wanjiru seemed still full of run as they crossed 40K in 2:08:45 off a 16:03 split.
An instant later, Asefa made her move, eschewing a bottle grab at the aid station. She quickly scooted to a 10m lead and pushed all the way to the finish to become the first woman under 2:16 on Japanese soil, 7 seconds under Brigid Kosgei’s 2:16:02 course record.
“I am truly happy,” Asefa exclaimed “It was a very tactical race, everything went well, and the result was better than I expected. I ran a good time in a major race, and I hope the Ethiopian Athletics Federation will select me for the Paris Olympics. I would like to win and break the Olympic record.”
Saina, 35, did well to recalibrate her pace after falling from the lead group. She passed halfway in 68:44 and — though last seen overcome by the heat in Orlando — became the fourth American to break 2:20, the first to do so without setting an AR.
— TOKYO WOMEN’S RESULTS —
1. Sutume Asefa (Eth) 2:15:55 PR (WL) (8, 10 W);
2. Rosemary Wanjiru (Ken) 2:16:14 PR (9, x W);
3. Amane Beriso (Eth) 2:16:58; 4. Sifan Hassan (Neth) 2:18:05;
5. Betsy Saina (US) 2:19:17 PR (3, 3 A);
6. Hitomi Niiya (Jpn) 2:21:50; 7. Meseret Abebayahau (Eth) 2:23:08; 8. Khishigsaikhan Galdabrakh (Mgl) 2:26:32 NR; 9. Tigist Abayechew (Eth) 2:28:53.
