<h2>Men's marathon</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/athletes?competitionGroup=olympic-games&amp;disciplineCode=MAR&amp;sexCode=M&amp;urlSlug=the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries</a> | <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/videos/olympic-marathon-race-course-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener">course video</a> | <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/timetable/bydiscipline/men/marathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/marathon/men?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2021-07-13&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/road-running/marathon/outdoor/men/senior/2021?regionType=world&amp;drop=regular&amp;fiftyPercentRule=regular&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/marathon/outdoor/men/senior?regionType=world&amp;drop=regular&amp;fiftyPercentRule=regular&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2021-07-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/road-running/marathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
Five years ago, marathon world record-holder Eliud Kipchoge was the last champion crowned at the Olympic Games in Rio. He'll be aiming to replicate that achievement in Sapporo on 8 August, the final day of the postponed Tokyo 2020 Games.
Successfully defending any title over the marathon distance is no easy task. Only two runners have managed the feat at the Olympics: 1960 and 1964 champion Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia and East German Waldemar Cierpinski, the winner in Montreal in 1976 and Moscow in 1980. Over the course of his career, Kipchoge has arguably achieved more than both of those legendary marathoners: he's broken the world record, which currently stands at 2:01:39, and pieced together a 10-race unbeaten streak over a five-year stretch which included victories at most of the world's most prestigious races, a record unparalleled in modern marathon running.
That streak finally came to a halt at the London Marathon in 2020, where he finished eighth in 2:06:49, the slowest marathon of his career. But he bounced back in April, winning in Enschede in 2:04:30. Four men have run faster this year in a season still battered by pandemic cancellations, but it was nonetheless a performance which illustrated that Kipchoge is fully capable of winning, even at 36. Indeed, he's widely considered a grand old man of the distance these days, a characterisation that certainly fits at this year's Games when only 11 of the 115 entrants are older.
Picking favourites in a marathon is difficult at the best of times. Throw a pandemic into the picture that ravaged the road racing season over the past 16 months, and it becomes a near impossible task.
That said, Kipchoge can expect a strong challenge from the Ethiopian squad, led by world champion Lelisa Desisa, Shura Kitata and Sisay Lemma. Desisa hasn't run under 2:06 since 2018 but his performance in Doha's difficult conditions in 2019 bodes well for a mid-summer marathon that is also expected to endure warm temperatures. Kitata won the London race that ended Kipchoge's streak, clocking 2:05:41, while Lemma has raced well in recent big city marathons, finishing third in both Berlin in 2019 (2:03:36) and Tokyo (2:04:51) in 2020. 
<img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/fb554f46-839f-4bf5-85f4-b263d68abd42.jpg?cachebuster=6eba1806-23c5-408a-a337-fd60bc5bcd9b" alt="" width="100%" />
 But both of Kipchoge's teammates have run faster more recently, suggesting ambitions to claim more than one podium spot. Lawrence Cherono and Amos Korir earned their spots after finishing second and fourth at last year's Valencia Marathon in 2:03:04 and 2:03:30, respectively, the second and fourth fastest times of 2020.
Stephen Kiprotich, the 2012 Olympic champion and 2013 world champion, leads the Ugandan squad, returning for another shot after a 14th-place finish in Rio. But his most recent top-two finish dates back to 2017 when was second in Fukuoka so Ugandans will have higher hopes for Felix Chemonges, who has a 2:05:12 lifetime best from the 2019 Toronto Marathon, and Fred Musobo, whose 2:06:56 best was set in Daegu in 2019.
Belgian Bashir Abdi could also be factor. The 32-year-old improved his national record to 2:04:20 at the Tokyo Marathon last year. Other notables include Galen Rupp, the 2016 bronze medallist, who earned his return ticket after his victory at the US trials in Atlanta in February last year.
The marathon-mad host nation's hopes lie with Suguru Osako, who broke his own national record with a 2:05:29 run at the Tokyo Marathon in 2020, finishing fourth. He'll be joined by Marathon Grand Championships winner Shogo Nakamura and Yuma Hattori who has a 2:07:27 PB from 2018.
The field also includes Tachlowini Gabriyesos, a 23-year-old Eritrean native who clocked 2:10:55 at the Hahula Galilee Marathon on 14 March to become the first refugee athlete to better an Olympic qualifying standard.
Bob Ramsak for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<h2>Women's marathon</h2>
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/athletes?competitionGroup=olympic-games&amp;disciplineCode=MAR&amp;sexCode=W&amp;urlSlug=the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Entries</a> | <a href="https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/en/news/videos/olympic-marathon-race-course-video" target="_blank" rel="noopener">course video</a> | <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/olympic-games/the-xxxii-olympic-games-athletics-7132391/timetable/bydiscipline/women/marathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">timetable</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/world-rankings/marathon/women?regionType=world&amp;page=1&amp;rankDate=2021-07-13&amp;limitByCountry=0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world rankings</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/toplists/road-running/marathon/outdoor/women/senior/2021?regionType=world&amp;drop=regular&amp;fiftyPercentRule=regular&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 world list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/road-running/marathon/outdoor/women/senior?regionType=world&amp;drop=regular&amp;fiftyPercentRule=regular&amp;page=1&amp;bestResultsOnly=true&amp;firstDay=1900-01-01&amp;lastDay=2021-07-19" target="_blank" rel="noopener">world all-time list</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/disciplines/road-running/marathon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">how it works</a>
World record-holder Brigid Kosgei will start as the woman to beat in the marathon when she hits the road on the Games' penultimate day. But she won&rsquo;t be lacking for formidable opposition.
The 27-year-old Kenyan has been among the best marathon runners on the planet since 2017 when she first threatened the 2:20 barrier at that year's Chicago Marathon, finishing second in 2:20:22. She returned the following year to take the title in 2:18:35 and then returned again in 2019 to smash the world record with a jaw-dropping 2:14:04 performance.
She followed up well with a successful title defence at the London Marathon last October in 2:18:58, winning by more than three minutes to secure her fourth consecutive marathon victory. 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/10304de7-c2ca-42f7-b718-361aab0af026.jpg" alt="" width="100%" />
 Kosgei hasn't contested the distance since and has only raced twice in 2021, so her current form will be somewhat of a mystery. This will also be the first time she has competed at a major championship. Given her marathon pedigree, though, you can expect her to arrive in Sapporo well prepared.
But she'll have plenty of fast company, beginning with her teammates.
Peres Jepchirchir, the two-time world half marathon champion, heads to her first Olympics courtesy of her 2:17:16 victory at the Valencia Marathon last December, the fastest in the world last year. Just over a month earlier, she broke the half marathon world record for a women-only race, clocking 1:05:16 at the World Half Marathon Championships.
They'll also have Ruth Chepngetich, the world champion, for company. Chepngetich clocked 2:17:08 in Dubai in 2019 that currently places her fourth on the world all-time list. After a third-place finish at the London Marathon last October in 2:22:05, Chepngetich returned to action at the Istanbul Half Marathon earlier this year when she broke the world record in a mixed race, clocking 1:04:02.
That Kenyan trio is about as good as they come. But the Ethiopian team isn't too far off that mark.
Birhane Dibaba clocked 2:18:35 to finish second in Tokyo last year, one of the fastest performances of 2020. Teammate Roza Dereje was even faster a few months earlier, clocking 2:18:30 in Valencia in December 2019. Zeineba Yimer, 23, is another rising star, clocking 2:19:28 and 2:19:54 at the 2019 and 2020 editions of the Valencia Marathon.
Expect Israeli record-holder Lonah Salpeter to be in the hunt. The 32-year-old broke into the all-time top-10 after a sensational 2:17:45 run to win the 2020 Tokyo Marathon and has tuned up with a solid but pressure-free 2:22:37 run at home in March.
Helalia Johannes of Namibia, the surprise bronze medallist at the 2019 World Championships, also made a notable jump last year into the sub-2:20 club, finishing third in Valencia in 2:19:52. She'll turn 41 the week after the Olympics ends and is showing few signs of slowing down. Winner of the Commonwealth title in 2018, Johannes excels in championship races held in hot conditions.
Japan will be well represented by a pair of consistent runners who could be ready to challenge for the podium. Mao Ichiyama has a 2:20:29 lifetime best from her victory at the 2020 Nagoya Marathon and was nearly as fast the following year when winning in Osaka in 2:21:11. Meanwhile, Mizuki Matsuda clocked 2:21:47 to win the Osaka Marathon in 2020 and 2:21:51 to win Nagoya earlier this year.
Bob Ramsak for World Athletics

Tokyo Olympics preview: marathon

With little more than eight weeks to go before athletics action gets under way at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the fields for the longest road events on the programme are taking shape.
The qualification period for marathons and the 50km race walk closed on 31 May. The <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/stats-zone/road-to/7132391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Road to the Olympic Games tool on the World Athletics website</a> shows which athletes &ndash; subject to being officially selected by their national Olympic committee &ndash; have qualified to compete in those disciplines in Japan.
Athletes could qualify in the marathon by either achieving the entry standard (2:11:30 for men, 2:29:30 for women), or by placing in the top 10 at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 or in Platinum Label marathons, or in the top five at Gold Label marathons.
Both marathons had a target number of 80 athletes, but a larger number of athletes have fulfilled the qualifying criteria and will compete in Sapporo, the host of the Olympic road events. In the men&rsquo;s field 110 athletes have qualified (maximum three per nation) and in the women&rsquo;s field 103 have qualified.
The entry standard for the men&rsquo;s 50km race walk is 3:50:00. The target number is 60 athletes (maximum three per nation) and 38 athletes have met the entry standard, leaving 22 places for athletes who qualify by world ranking.
"It's exciting to see the athletes in our longest distance events complete their qualification for the Tokyo Olympic Games," said World Athletics President Sebastian Coe. "This is a considerable achievement in our sport and I congratulate all those who have met the standard. We&rsquo;re pleased to see that the qualifying process, which was suspended during the first part of the pandemic but ultimately extended to give more athletes the opportunity to qualify, has been a success.
"We still have nearly a month to go in the qualification period for other events, but our tracking suggests that about 70 percent of athletes in most events will qualify by entry standard. This is above the 50 percent rate we aimed for in devising the system, but we believe this is due to the extended qualifying period created after the postponement of the Olympic Games from 2020 to 2021."
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/stats-zone/road-to/7132391" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Road to Tokyo tool</a>, updated today, shows all qualified athletes in bold as follows: - Qualified by entry standard - Qualified by designated competition (marathon only) - In world rankings quota (50km race walk only) - Accepted universality place
The Road to Tokyo tool identifies the first three qualifiers per nation but any athlete who has qualified can be selected within the limit of three per nation.
Athletes from North Korea are not included as this country has confirmed it will not attend the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Several places in the <a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/competitions/world-athletics-relays/silesia21/news/press-releases/global-championships-tokyo-olympics-oregon-relays-silesia-21" target="_blank" rel="noopener">relay disciplines were claimed at the recent World Athletics Relays Silesia 21</a>.
Athletes in other disciplines have until 29 June to either achieve a qualification standard or place high enough in the world rankings to earn a place within the quota.
World Athletics

With little more than eight weeks to go before athletics action gets under way at the Tokyo Olympic Games, the fields for the longest road events on the programme are taking shape.

Olympic qualification period ends for marathons and 50km race walk

Kenya&rsquo;s Purity Rionoripo and Benson Kipruto were first past the post at the inaugural edition of The Battle of the Teams in Prague on Sunday (30), winning the World Athletics Label Road Race in 2:20:14 and 2:10:16 respectively.
Starting in glorious sunshine on the Charles Bridge, The Battle of the Teams concept involved four carefully balanced teams of eight athletes, but eventually there could be only one individual winner in the men&rsquo;s and women&rsquo;s races, and only one team could come out on top.
After a quick first half, Rionoripo applied pressure at the front of the women&rsquo;s race at 25km, breaking loose and building an unassailable lead. As the last of the 13 three-kilometre laps unfolded, she pulled further and further clear, surging to the line in 2:20:14, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Guteni Shone taking second in 2:21:46.
Eva Vrabcova Nyvltova of the Czech Republic placed sixth in 2:27:07, just 36 seconds shy of her national record and comfortably enough for her to book her ticket for the Tokyo Olympics. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m back,&rdquo; said the European bronze medallist, who returned to action last year after a maternity break. &ldquo;I don't know what to say. I didn&rsquo;t expect this at all, so I'm very happy. I didn't want to believe it was happening until I had finished.&rdquo;
The men&rsquo;s race was a tactical and cautious affair, with Kipruto putting in a big surge in the final 5km to win in 2:10:16, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Dickson Chumba.
The scoring format, with six runners per team to count, saw times converted to points, but importantly ensured that the last finishers for each team could change the team positions dramatically. Despite her individual victory and points contribution to her Volkswagen team, Rionoripo could not stop rival Team Birell from taking the team title.
Eventually it was the two personal bests by team members that ensured Team Birell&rsquo;s comfortable winning margin, their squad&rsquo;s times converting to 7152 points over Team Volkswagen&rsquo;s 6887. Team Mattoni were third with 6845, with Team Skupina CEZ on 6765.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Purity Rionoripo (KEN) 2:20:14 2 Guteni Shone (ETH) 2:21:46 3 Valary Aiyabei (KEN) 2:22:39 4 Betty Lempus (KEN) 2:24:15 5 Tigist Abayechew (ETH) 2:26:12 6 Eva Vrabcova-Nyvltova (CZE) 2:27:07 7 Aberu Mulisa (ETH) 2:28:02 8 Meseret Belete (ETH) 2:28:31 9 Moira Stewartova (CZE) 2:29:28 10 Reia Iwade (JPN) 2:32:33
Men 1 Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:10:16 2 Dickson Chumba (KEN) 2:10:26 3 Nobert Kigen (KEN) 2:10:27 4 Kenneth Keter (KEN) 2:10:29 5 Lencho Anbesa (ETH) 2:10:50 6 Kinde Atanaw (ETH) 2:11:00 7 Mengistu Zelalem (ETH) 2:11:48 8 Yitayal Atnafu (ETH) 2:11:58 9 Wily Canchanya (PER) 2:12:33 10 Abdi Ibrahim (BRN) 2:12:52

Kenya’s Purity Rionoripo and Benson Kipruto were first past the post at the inaugural edition of The Battle of the Teams in Prague on Sunday (30), winning the World Athletics Label Road Race in 2:20:14 and 2:10:16 respectively.

Rionoripo and Kipruto victorious in Prague

Kenya&rsquo;s Titus Ekiru and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hiwot Gebrekidan recorded world-leading times of 2:02:57 and 2:19:35 to break the Italian all-comers&rsquo; records at the Generali Milano Marathon, a World Athletics Label road race, on Sunday (16).
It was Ekiru&rsquo;s second victory in Milan, having won in 2019 in 2:04:46, the previous Italian all-comers&rsquo; record. Gebrekidan, meanwhile, was competing in Italy for the first time and was rewarded with a four-minute PB.
This year&rsquo;s race, held in ideal 13C temperatures, was staged on a 7.5km circuit in front of the Castello Sforzesco in the heart of Milan.
In the men&rsquo;s race, the leading pack of 10 athletes set a consistent pace in the first half, passing 5km in 14:47, 10km in 29:28 and 15km in 44:13. Leading South African runner Stephen Mokoka, acting as a pacemaker in Milan, reached the half-way mark in 1:01:48.
Ekiru started to push the pace after 30km, covering the next five-kilometre segment in 14:11 and the following one in 14:34. He maintained that pace to the end and, having covered the second half in 1:01:09, went on to cross the finish line in 2:02:57.
The 29-year-old now moves to fifth on the world all-time list, level with former world record-holder Dennis Kimetto.
The first five men finished inside the previous Italian all-comers&rsquo; record. Reuben Kipyego finished second in 2:03:55 ahead of Barnabas Kiptum (2:04:17), 2018 Milan Marathon winner Seifu Tura from Ethiopia (2:04:29), Leul Gebrselassie from Ethiopia (2:04:31), and Gabriel Gerald Geay, who set a Tanzanian record of 2:04:55.
&ldquo;At 20 km I felt in very good shape and I tried to push the pace,&rdquo; said Ekiru, the 2019 African Games half marathon champion. &ldquo;I feel emotional. Maybe I can run 2:01 in the future.&rdquo;
Unlike the men&rsquo;s contest, the women&rsquo;s race was a one-runner affair with Gebrekidan making a break in the early stages.
After covering the first 5km in 16:43 as part of a leading pack, the 26-year-old Ethiopian made a break and went through the half-way point inside 70 minutes with a lead of 20 seconds, hinting at a finishing time inside 2:20.
By the time she reached 30km in 1:38:28, Gebrekidan&rsquo;s lead over Kenya&rsquo;s Racheal Mutgaa had grown to 84 seconds. Gebrekidan&rsquo;s pace dropped only slightly in the second half and she held on to win in 2:19:35, breaking the previous world-leading time and Italian all-comers&rsquo; record of2:20:08 set by Kenya&rsquo;s Angela Tanui in Siena last month.
"I trained very well and I prepared for this race at the Istanbul Half Marathon," said Gebrekidan, whose previous PB of 2:23:50 was set at the 2019 Guangzhou Marathon. "I will celebrate this win with my family."
Mutgaa went on to finish second in 2:22:50 ahead of Bahrain&rsquo;s Eunice Chumba (2:23:10). With the first seven women finishing inside 2:25, it was the deepest ever women&rsquo;s marathon held in Italy.
Diego Sampaolo for World Athletics
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Hiwot Gebremaryam Gebrekidan (ETH) 2:19:35 2 Racheal Jemutai Mutgaa (KEN) 2:22:50 3 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:23:10 4 Moges Betelhem Cherenet (ETH) 2:23:38 5 Risper Chebet (KEN) 2:23:50 6 Tilahun Yenenesh Dinkesa (ETH) 2:24:50 7 Lewetegn Hailemichael Sintayeheu (ETH) 2:24:53 8 Besu Sado (ETH) 2:27:06 9 Winfridah Moseti Moraa (KEN) 2:27:44 10 Stella Barsosio (KEN) 2:27:52
Men 1 Titus Ekiru (KEN) 2:02:57 2 Reuben Kipyego (KEN) 2:03:55 3 Barnabas Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:17 4 Seifu Tura Abdiwak (ETH) 2:04:29 5 Leul Gebrselassie (ETH) 2:04:31 6 Gerald Gabriel Geay (TAN) 2:04:55 7 Nicholas Kirwa (KEN) 2:05:01 8 Joel Kemboi Kimurer (KEN) 2:05:19 9 Yerssie Beshah Eskezia (ETH) 2:06:40 10 Elisha Kipchirchir Rotich (KEN) 2:06:44

Kenya’s Titus Ekiru and Ethiopia’s Hiwot Gebrekidan recorded world-leading times of 2:02:57 and 2:19:35 to break the Italian all-comers’ records at the Generali Milano Marathon, a World Athletics Label road race, on Sunday (16).

Ekiru and Gebrekidan break Italian all-comers’ records in Milan

In many ways, 1 May was like the start of a normal training day for several Ethiopian marathoners vying for spots on the Olympic team. They arrived early to the city of Sebeta, just south of Addis Ababa, where they often go to train for their fastest sessions. At 2,200m, Sebeta is a bit lower in elevation than Addis Ababa and many other training spots in Ethiopia, which are often well over 2,600m.
The conditions were mostly good, although the air was a bit more humid than normal because of rains signalling the start of kremt &ndash; the Ethiopian rainy season. And rather than a full marathon, they opted to hold the race at a distance of 35km.
But Sebeta is not Geneva, the sea level Swiss city where these trials were originally slated to happen. Because of Covid-19, travel concerns and general logistical issues, the Ethiopian Athletics Federation ultimately decided to hold the trials along a well paved road in this Oromo city, with likely Olympic champions being cheered on by local farmers and school children, instead of a select few European race organisers.
The women&rsquo;s race was a slow grind, led by a few male pacemakers, and included the likes of Tokyo Marathon champion Ruti Aga, 2015 world champion Mare Dibaba and Zeineba Yimer. As these three slowly dropped off the pack, the eventual qualifiers &ndash; Roza Dereje, Birhane Dibaba and Tigist Girma &ndash; pulled away, with Girma winning in 1:59:23. Dibaba followed in 1:59:45 and Derje in 2:00:16.
Girma was slightly lesser known by many spectators, despite winning the Ottawa Marathon and placing second in the Amsterdam Marathon in 2019. In 2020, her fifth place finish at the Tokyo Marathon and sixth at the Valencia Marathon were significant, but not necessarily memorable.
&ldquo;We knew Tigist was capable of what we saw today for a while. She&rsquo;s a hard worker, a disciplined athlete, and someone with a lot of power. We were waiting for this kind of performance,&rdquo; said her agent, Hussein Makke.
Growing up near to Shashamene, home of the Ethiopian Rastafari population, Girma was more interested in reading, watching movies and going to church than athletics. She still maintains those hobbies on the side, but as she got more seriously into athletics, she began to learn from training partners older and with more experience after joining Haji Adilo&rsquo;s training group.
Girma for a long time looked up to Amane Gobena &ndash; winner of several big marathons between 2007 and 2015 &ndash; who she had the opportunity to train with for a few years. More recently, she cites fellow Olympic qualifier and training partner Dereje for giving her confidence.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not afraid of running in front,&rdquo; said Girma, who pushed the second half of the race after the pacemakers dropped off. &ldquo;My coach, Haji Adilo, always trains us to listen to our heart and the environmental conditions to work as hard as possible. These 180km weeks paid off.&rdquo;
Adilo is the coach of four of the six Olympic qualifiers from the race. In addition to Girma and Dereje, he also coaches the men&rsquo;s winner and runner up &ndash; Shura Kitata and Lelisa Desisa.
<h3>Kitata wins with sprint finish</h3>
The men&rsquo;s race was first led by Getaneh Molla and when he dropped out Sisay Lemma took the lead, but Kinde Atanaw and Chalu Deso &ndash; an up-and-coming marathon star who will surely leave his mark on the marathon running scene in the coming years &ndash; stuck with the pace.&nbsp;
Ultimately, it came down to Desisa and Kitata pushing the pace, with Kitata outsprinting his friend and training partner for the win.
&ldquo;The race was really good, and honestly was not that hard,&rdquo; said Kitata. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m surprised at how good I felt with the training I had, but I am not surprised I won.&rdquo;
Kitata and Desisa are not only training partners, but also grew up in large families near Ambo &ndash; a city west of Addis Ababa in the Oromia region. Kitata speaks limited Amharic, and thus gravitates to athletes who speak his native Afaan Oromo, and Desisa has been one of his greatest mentors.
In 2018, Desisa won the New York City Marathon in 2:05:59. Kitata, who he thanked for pushing him in training sessions, was carried along to a second place finish just two seconds back. A similar dynamic, but in reverse order, unfolded at Saturday&rsquo;s race with Kitata finishing in 1:46:15 and Desisa in 1:46:16. Lemma was just a few more seconds back and secured the final spot in 1:46:19.
Desisa has been a household name in international running for years, with a world title and several World Marathon Majors wins to his name. Others learned about him after his participation in the Breaking2 project. But until recently, few knew about Kitata.
In 2020, when all eyes were on Eliud Kipchoge at the start of the London Marathon, Kitata remained poised to make a statement. He bided his time and fought hard to pull away for the win, while Desisa loudly cheered him on in his Addis Ababa home. The previous year when he expected to make a big splash, he did not eat breakfast, which he attributes to his lack of performance. Last year, he fueled properly, which helped his win.
&ldquo;Now I don&rsquo;t skip breakfast,&rdquo; Kitata joked. &ldquo;I drank besso before this race,&rdquo; he said of the trials. Besso is a drink made up of barley flour, water, and often honey, enjoyed widely within the Ethiopian runner community.
Desisa, on the other hand, described his lead up to the Valencia Marathon as similar to &ldquo;coroconch&rdquo; &ndash; or the rough, rocky and uneven training surface Ethiopian athletes often run on. He attributes his lack of performance there to a &ldquo;grueling 72-hour journey where his nutrition, rest and recovery were all dramatically impacted.&rdquo; Since his disappointing finish there &ndash; a 35th place in 2:10:44, he has been training hard and staying in the national team hotel chasing redemption.
The Ethiopian Athletics Federation often houses athletes before Olympic Games and World Championships in order to simplify their lives (meals, cleaning and many basic needs are taken care of), stimulate camaraderie and build morale. Desisa, like the other qualifiers, have been in the hotel, but Kitata had been staying in his home. That may change now that the two, who clearly work well together, may be well positioned to bring home hardware for Ethiopia in Sapporo.
On 2 May, many of the competitors celebrated Easter &ndash; or Fasika &ndash; as the Ethiopian Orthodox Church follows a calendar different from the West. Within the country, it is one of the most important days, even for those not practicing, to spend time with families, eat delicious food and prepare for a new season in the Ethiopian year.
Three-time Olympic track champion Kenenisa Bekele, not present at the trials, may still well be kept on the marathon team, as the Ethiopian Athletics Federation reserves the right to change the rosters.
Hannah Borenstein for World Athletics

In many ways, 1 May was like the start of a normal training day for several Ethiopian marathoners vying for spots on the Olympic team. 

Ethiopian marathon team’s road to Tokyo begins with success in Sebeta

When Roza Dereje broke the tape at the Valencia Marathon in December 2019, smashing the course record in a time of 2:18:30, and becoming the then-eighth fastest marathon runner of all time, she beamed, elatedly.
Few knew about the rocky months leading up to the race, and assumed a DNF at the World Championships in Doha two months prior was a result of the brutally humid conditions. But this was not the case.
&ldquo;For the World Championship in Doha I was really, really prepared,&rdquo; stressed Dereje, who was eager to bring home the gold for her Ethiopia. &ldquo;We trained hard because I was representing my country for the first time and I wanted to bring something good to Ethiopia. But with about two weeks left I got saddled with a bone injury. After that, for one month I didn&rsquo;t do any training. But because I trained so well for Doha it helped me in winning Valencia.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/608296fd761107609cd98486.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="633" /> Above: Roza Dereje leads the marathon at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 (&copy; Getty Images) Below: Roza Dereje celebrates her victory at the 2019 Valencia Marathon (&copy; Organisers) <img src="https://media.aws.iaaf.org/media/Carousel2/1d72429d-362c-43ce-b83f-0dd65c72fb4b.jpg?cachebuster=624db95e-1744-4138-a27d-81484f3f7bf9" alt="" width="950" height="570" />
 When she returned home from Valencia, she hosted coaches, Haji Adilo, Kasim Adilo, and Moges Taye, her physiotherapist, Jeroen Deen, and a few others in her inner circle at her home in Sululta as a show of appreciation for their support. Dereje is not one to forget who helps her along each step of the way.
One of the figures in her life that features prominently when she speaks of supporters is her late father, who was an avid running fan. Many women from the countryside in Ethiopia who begin running do so at the behest of their parents, who see the slim rates of success and enormous devotion as a precarious life path. But Dereje&rsquo;s father, along with her mother and four brothers, encouraged her from the start.
&ldquo;Before my father died, he would take me to the regional competitions,&rdquo; recounts Dereje. &ldquo;My family was always happy and encouraging. They just told me to finish my 10th grade education and continue running as I wanted.&rdquo;
In her native district of Selale, in the Oromia region of Ethiopia, Dereje took inspiration from Derartu Tulu and Tirunesh Dibaba, whom she would see on television. With the support of her family, and after fulfilling her promise to complete the 10th grade, she moved to Bekoji to train with a project &ndash; a type of training group for junior athletes in Ethiopia that usually does not receive government support, unlike the extensive network of funded clubs. There, she focused on the 800m and 1500m.
However, Dereje always had interest in eventually running the marathon, and when she won a local half marathon, she caught the eyes of two key figures in her life &ndash; her future coach, Haji Adilo, and her future husband, Dereje Abera Ali. 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/br8QAsM9g8k" width="100%" height="450" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe> (&copy; Guillaume Laurent / <a href="https://www.athle.ch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ATHLE.ch</a>)
 Ali also grew up in Selale, and remembered seeing Dereje in her earliest running days. He was running professionally at the time and thought with a more rigorous training plan she could be a dominating force in the marathon.
&ldquo;She didn&rsquo;t know that much before we met,&rdquo; said Ali, who has a marathon PB of 2:10:19. &ldquo;She learned how to work much harder after we met.&rdquo;
Ali&rsquo;s career was cut short due to injury, so he opted to stop his training and focus on helping Dereje grow. &ldquo;She&rsquo;s become a really hard worker and very focused. Now she likes to work and train hard.&rdquo;
Dereje credits her husband for a lot of her success. Not only did he teach her a lot about training, and take on doing most of the housework &ndash; a dramatic gender role reversal in Ethiopia &ndash; but he gave her the confidence to succeed in the longer distances.
Her first competition outside of Ethiopia was a marathon in Algeria in 2015 where she finished fourth in 2:34:02. She won the Shanghai Marathon in 2016 and successfully defended her title in 2017. In 2018, an early win at the highly competitive Dubai Marathon in 2:19:17 proved Dereje had what it took to be one of the best ever.
&ldquo;Roza listens, respects, and trusts in her coaches,&rdquo; said Adilo, her coach, who has overseen the training of several Olympic and world champions. He thinks she is one of the most talented athletes he has worked with to date. &ldquo;These are the types of athletes that go far. From the beginning she has improved steadily, year to year, and I think she will become of the best, ever.&rdquo;
Dereje&rsquo;s agent, Hussein Makke of Elite Sports Marketing and Management, echoed similar sentiments about Dereje&rsquo;s character beyond sport. &ldquo;Roza is a really different and special athlete. She has confidence in both herself and those around her and this reflects in the way she conducts business with her coach and the management so professionally. She&rsquo;s easy to work with and really one of the best athletes I&rsquo;ve ever managed.&rdquo; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/60829110a16a9af21aaefcf3.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="635" /> Roza Dereje in action at the 2019 London Marathon (&copy; Getty Images)
&nbsp;
In 2019, Dereje finished third at the London Marathon before winning what was her last full marathon in Valencia. She was prepared to race the London Marathon in early 2020, but that race, along with most others, was postponed due to Covid-19. A small set-back led to her sitting out the rescheduled edition of the London Marathon late last year, opting to focus solely on the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
There&rsquo;s a very common saying in Amharic &ndash; kas be kas inculal be egeru yiheal &ndash; that translates roughly to, &lsquo;Slowly by slowly, the egg grows legs&rsquo;. Essentially, it means that this kind of incremental improvement will lead to a sustained success, without any severe fall back. Dereje&rsquo;s attention to detail, trust in her husband, coaches, and agents, and commitment to her training programme is based on this proverbial advancement.
More than winning any major marathons and breaking course records, representing Ethiopia, and bringing home the gold at the Olympics, drives her steady training.
&ldquo;Running has changed my life and made me happy,&rdquo; Dereje said. To bring glory to Ethiopia would bring her immense happiness, she stresses. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a good thing. It&rsquo;s a good thing for my country. It&rsquo;s a dream.&rdquo;
Hannah Borenstein for World Athletics

How Roza Dereje became one of Ethiopia's leading marathon runners

Dereje’s dream of bringing marathon glory to Ethiopia

When Roza Dereje broke the tape at the 2019 Valencia Marathon in a course record of 2:18:30, she beamed, elatedly.

Eliud Kipchoge waited until the final 30 minutes of the NN Mission Marathon to make his winning move as the Kenyan great kicked on to win the World Athletics Label road race in 2:04:30 at Twente Airport in Enschede on Sunday (18).
The Olympic champion had little to prove; his place on Kenya&rsquo;s team for Tokyo had already been confirmed, as has his status as one of the all-time greats. But following a rare defeat at the London Marathon last year, the world record-holder was keen to produce a confidence-boosting performance ahead of the Olympic Games.
He did exactly that on Sunday, despite having to contend with some late changes to the race plans as the event had originally been set for 11 April in Hamburg.
Unlike many of Kipchoge&rsquo;s previous marathon races, today&rsquo;s event was never intended as an opportunity to chase record times. Nevertheless, the pace was swift as a lead group of four reached 15km in 43:46, just outside 2:03 pace.
After going through half way in 1:01:43, with Kipchoge running alongside pacemakers Philemon Kacheran and Jonathan Korir, the pace settled in the second half with each five-kilometre segment being covered in just outside 14:50.
By the time Kipchoge and the pacing duo reached 30km in 1:28:10, the chase pack was more than two minutes adrift but still on course for Olympic qualifying times. Shortly after, with 1:35 on the clock, Kipchoge left his pacemakers behind.
His tempo didn&rsquo;t actually increase in the closing stages, but he maintained his sub-three-minute kilometre pace, which brought him to the finish line in a world-leading 2:04:30.
Korir held on for second place in 2:06:40 with Eritrea&rsquo;s Goitom Kifle coming through to take third in 2:08:07. A little further behind, Uganda&rsquo;s 2012 Olympic champion Stephen Kiprotich placed fifth in 2:09:04.
&ldquo;Mission accomplished,&rdquo; said Kipchoge. &ldquo;The conditions were really good, a bit windy, but I had no complaints. The race was perfect. This was the real test towards Tokyo. It&rsquo;s good to have a marathon a few months before the Olympics to test my fitness.&rdquo;
The leading contenders in the women&rsquo;s race were paced by a small group of men, reaching 10km in 34:39 and half way in 1:12:58. Kenya&rsquo;s Gladys Chesir, Sweden&rsquo;s Hanna Lindholm and German duo Laura Hottenrott and Katharina Steinruck were all still in contention at this point, but Lindholm started to fade as they embarked on the second half.
Chesir was next to drop back, doing so after about 90 minutes of running, leaving Steinruck and Hottenrott as the lead duo. Steinruck (nee Heinig) began to edge ahead of her domestic rival in the final seven kilometres and the race was finally decided.
Steinruck reached the finish line in 2:25:59, elevating her to sixth on the German all-time list, just three places and 84 seconds adrift of her mother, Katrin Dorre-Heinig, the 1988 Olympic bronze medallist.
Portugal&rsquo;s Sara Moreira finished strongly to take second place in 2:26:42 with Germany&rsquo;s Rabea Schoneborn placing third in 2:27:03.
<h3>Leading results</h3>
Women 1 Katharina Steinruck (GER) 2:25:59 2 Sara Moreira (POR) 2:26:42 3 Rabea Schoneborn (GER) 2:27:03 4 Laura Hottenrott (GER) 2:28:02 5 Marcela Joglova (CZE) 2:28:16 6 Jill Holterman (NED) 2:28:18 7 Mieke Gorissen (BEL) 2:28:31 8 Gladys Chesir (KEN) 2:29:16 9 Laura Mendez (ESP) 2:29:28 10 Ruth van der Meijden (NED) 2:29:30
Men 1 Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) 2:04:30 2 Jonathan Korir (KEN) 2:06:40 3 Goitom Kifle (ERI) 2:08:07 4 Philemon Kacheran (KEN) 2:08:47 5 Stephen Kiprotich (UGA) 2:09:04 6 Geoffrey Kusuro (UGA) 2:09:53 7 Mathew Sang (KEN) 2:09:54 8 Filex Chemonges (UGA) 2:09:59 9 Hiskel Tewelde (ERI) 2:10:07 10 Marcin Chabowski (POL) 2:10:17

Eliud Kipchoge waited until the final 30 minutes of the NN Mission Marathon to make his winning move as the Kenyan great kicked on to win the World Athletics Label road race in 2:04:30 at Twente Airport in Enschede on Sunday (18).

Kipchoge clocks world-leading 2:04:30 in Enschede

Kenya&rsquo;s Angela Tanui and Eric Kiptanui claimed victory at the Xiamen Marathon and Tuscany Camp Global Elite Race in Siena on Sunday (11), with Tanui breaking the Italian all-comers' record with 2:20:08 at the specially-organised elite-only event.
Held as an opportunity for athletes to achieve qualifying marks for the Olympic Games in Tokyo &ndash; with co-operation from the Italian Athletics Federation, World Athletics and the Xiamen Marathon, which was unable to welcome overseas entrants to race this weekend due to pandemic restrictions &ndash; the event saw athletes compete on a roughly 5km loop course around the roads of the Siena-Ampugnano Airport.&nbsp;
Despite the rain and wind, 2018 Venice Marathon winner&nbsp;Tanui took more than five minutes off her PB to improve the Italian all-comers' best which had previously been Vivian Kiplagat&rsquo;s 2:22:25 set in Milan in 2019.
Kiptanui achieved the second-quickest men&rsquo;s time ever run on Italian soil, clocking 2:05:47 to improve on his previous best of 2:06:17 run in Dubai in 2020. Only Titus Ekiru with 2:04:46, also run in Milan in 2019, has gone quicker for the distance in Italy.
A group of 13 athletes featured in the lead women&rsquo;s group which passed 4850m in 16:24 and the pack remained 12 strong by 14,910m, passed in 50:18.&nbsp;
Ethiopia&rsquo;s Rahma Tusa, Gebiyanesh Gedamu and Haven Hailu Desse were among those to the fore along with Tanui at halfway, with the 22,470m mark passed by that lead group in 1:15:19.
By 30km a group of four athletes was breaking away, with Tanui joined by her fellow Kenyans Gladys Chepkirui and Delvine Meringor, plus Gedamu. Tanui made a break and continued to move ahead over the final 10km, eventually winning by more than two-and-a-half minutes from her compatriot Purity Changwony, who came through to finish second in a PB of 2:22:46. Gedamu was third in 2:23:23 and Desse fourth in 2:23:52 as the top six went sub-2:25.
South Africa&rsquo;s Gerda Steyn broke the long-standing national record with 2:25:28 in ninth, while 2013 world silver medallist Valeria Straneo was the top Italian in 20th&nbsp;and finished a minute outside the Olympic qualifying time with 2:30:33.
In the men&rsquo;s race, a large group of 37 athletes went through 4850m in 14:23 and 26 were together at halfway, with 22,470m passed in 1:06:42.
The leaders hit 30km in 1:29:38 before Kiptanui and Ethiopia's Abdi Fufa Nigassa made a move with less than 5km remaining.
Kiptanui &ndash; the 2020 Dubai Marathon runner-up &ndash; kicked ahead to win by 10 seconds from Nigassa with 2:05:57, as Morocco&rsquo;s Othmane El Goumri improved his PB to 2:06:18 in third. Yohanes Ghebregergis of Eritrea finished fourth in 2:06:28 and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Wami Kebede Tulu fifth in 2:06:32 as nine athletes finished inside 2:07 and 20 went sub-2:09.
Germany&rsquo;s Richard Ringer took more than two minutes off his PB with 2:08:49 to finish 17th, while Italy&rsquo;s Stefano La Rosa was 30th&nbsp;in 2:11:42, just 12 seconds outside of the Olympic qualifying mark.
<h3>Maruo secures Olympic spot</h3>
Satoshi Maruo won the battle for Olympic Games selection on Sunday (11), securing the last remaining place on Japan&rsquo;s men&rsquo;s 50km race walk team by winning the national event in Wajima in 3:38:42.
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/6072de7a150fd9fadac0c56c.jpg" alt="" width="950" height="534" /> Satoshi Maruo wins at the 2021 Japanese 50km Race Walking Championships&nbsp;(&copy;&nbsp;JAAF)
 With two team places already decided, athletes had been racing to join Yusuke Suzuki and Masatora Kawano at the home Olympics this summer and intentions were clear from the start. The leaders went through 10km in 44:25 and the pace picked up further as Tomohiro Noda led through 20km in 1:27:18.
Noda and Maruo &ndash; who finished seventh and fourth respectively in the Japanese Race Walking Championships over 20km in February &ndash; had broken away by the halfway point, which they passed in 1:48:16, with 2017 world bronze medallist Kai Kobayashi behind them in third.
After a slight dip, the pace increased again and Noda created a gap on 2017 world fourth-placer Maruo but it was not sustained and Maruo made up ground as the pace slowed at around 38km, moving ahead around 41km into the race.
Behind him, 2018 Asian Games champion Hayato Katsuki was working his way through the field and first passed Kobayashi with around 4km remaining. One kilometre later he had moved into second place, with Kobayashi also passing Noda.
Remaining untroubled at the front, Maruo &ndash; who was contesting his first 50km race walk since 2019 when he set his 3:37:39 PB &ndash; held on to claim victory by almost four minutes.
Katsuki finished second in a PB of 3:42:34, with Kobayashi third in 3:43:31, Noda fourth in 3:45:26 and Isamu Fujisawa fifth in 3:46:27.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
Japanese 50km Race Walking Championships report&nbsp;with assistance from Evan Dunfee.

Kenya’s Angela Tanui and Eric Kiptanui claimed victory at the Xiamen Marathon and Tuscany Camp Global Elite Race in Siena on Sunday (11), with Tanui breaking the Italian all-comers' record with 2:20:08 at the specially-organised elite-only event.

Tanui breaks Italian all-comers' record in Siena

World marathon fourth-placer Callum Hawkins and recent trials winners Chris Thompson and Stephanie Davis are among the first seven members of the athletics squad selected to&nbsp;represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Hawkins, who just missed a medal at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha and the 2017 edition of the event in London, had gained pre-selection in December 2019. Ninth at the Rio Olympics in 2016, he demonstrated current form and fitness having acted as a pacemaker at the M&uuml;ller British Athletics Marathon and 20km Walk Trial at Kew Gardens last week.
There Thompson secured his selection as he won the men&rsquo;s marathon in a PB and Olympic qualifying time of 2:10:52, just a few days after becoming a father, while Davis had achieved the qualifying standard with 2:27:40 in Valencia in 2019 and improved that PB to 2:27:16 to win at Kew Gardens.
Ben Connor finished behind Thompson at the trials and gains his Olympic place having set the qualifying standard in 2020 with 2:11:20 in London.
"It&rsquo;s official. My selection for the Olympics has been announced," said Thompson. "Becoming a two-time Olympian and a dad in the space of a week took every ounce of who I am and I couldn&rsquo;t have rode a finer line."
Jess Piasecki and Steph Twell will join Davis in the women&rsquo;s marathon. They did not race at the trials but had impressed with their respective times of 2:25:28 in Florence and 2:26:40 in Frankfurt in 2019. Tokyo will be Twell&rsquo;s third Olympic Games after she made her debut over 1500m in 2008 just a few days after her 19th birthday.
"Dreams really do come true," said Piasecki, who became the third-fastest female in British marathon history with her run in Florence. "Absolutely over the moon to have made it here. Bring on Tokyo."
The&nbsp;2012 European under-23 cross-country champion had been well on target for a Rio Olympic qualifying time when racing in Florence on her debut in 2015 but was forced to drop out at 32km&nbsp;after tearing her plantar fascia.
Kew Gardens also played host to the British Athletics 20km race walk trials which saw 2016 Olympic sixth-placer Tom Bosworth finish second to secure his qualification for Tokyo, having already achieved the qualifying standard at the European Race Walking Cup in 2019 when he posted a time of 1:20:53.
&ldquo;It is a great privilege to be able to welcome the first seven members of the athletics squad for Tokyo into Team GB,&rdquo; said Mark England, Team GB&rsquo;s Chef de Mission for Tokyo 2020.
&ldquo;It was clear from watching the coverage of the qualifying event last week, and seeing the emotion felt by each athlete as they crossed the finish line, just how much this selection means to them. The hard work and dedication that goes into securing Olympic qualification is admirable, especially in a year that has come with so many challenges.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;d like to congratulate everyone on their fantastic achievements, and we look forward to welcoming them to Tokyo this summer.&rdquo;
World Athletics
<h3>First selected British team members for Tokyo</h3>
WOMEN Marathon: Stephanie Davis, Jess Piasecki, Steph Twell
MEN Marathon: Ben Connor, Callum Hawkins, Chris Thompson 20km race walk: Tom Bosworth

World marathon fourth-placer Callum Hawkins and recent trials winners Chris Thompson and Stephanie Davis are among the first seven members of the athletics squad selected to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Britain names first seven team members for Tokyo

Chris Thompson and Stephanie Davis secured their marathon spots for the Tokyo Olympic Games at the M&uuml;ller British Athletics Marathon and 20km Race Walk Trial at London's Kew Gardens on Friday (26).
Thompson clocked 2:10.50, a career best at 39, to win the men's race while Davis clocked 2:27:16 to prevail in the women's, bettering her previous best by 24 seconds.
Thompson ran a well judged race, staying off the mid-race pace and at one point languishing 35 seconds behind the lead group of Dewi Griffiths, Ben Connor and Mo Aadan who were being led by the pacing duo of Callum Hawkins and Jake Smith.
Yet it was after the departure of the pacers, between 30 and 35km, when the evenly judged run by Thompson began to reap dividends. Reunited with the leading group at 35km, he then pushed on to establish a gap on Connor and Aadan.
Thompson looked almost incredulous to be finding himself with a significant lead as he circled Kew Gardens, running well inside his previous marathon best and more importantly, inside the qualifying time for Tokyo.
Thompson, who became a father earlier this week, said: &ldquo;This week has just knocked me for six. I have been trying to hold it together and I have just never felt so much emotion in all my life and I have always controlled it.
&ldquo;I just said don&rsquo;t cramp on that last lap, because everything fell into place in the last couple of laps.
"I kept saying to myself, 'stay on course for the time and see what happens'. I was in dreamland, the last to laps I was like &lsquo;I am going&rsquo;, nothing is stopping me now."
Connor finished second in 2:12:06 to secure the second automatic team slot, having previously achieved the qualifying time. Aadan was third in 2:12:20 in his marathon debut.
"I am delighted," Connor said. "Obviously I would have liked the win but delighted to have secured the spot. Job done, rest and recover now, get to do it all again in five months."
In the women&rsquo;s race Davis put on a strong performance to dominate after starting to split away from the field having passed halfway in 1:14:06. She pushed on with the pacing team to record a negative second half split of 1:13:10 to cross the line two minutes and 14 seconds inside the the Tokyo qualifying mark.
&ldquo;Anything can happen in the marathon, you can&rsquo;t just know that this is going to be your day,&rdquo; Davis said. &ldquo;It was an amazing event today, flat course, the corners were fine, and I am really happy to take the win and secure that spot and a small PB.&rdquo;
<h3>Walks victories for Wilkinson and Lewis</h3>
Callum Wilkinson stormed to an overwhelming victory in the men&rsquo;s 20km race walk trial in 1:22:47, shy of the 1:21:00 Olympic qualifier.
While his Tokyo appearance remains dependent on a future qualifying performance, Tom Bosworth, who already had a qualifier in the bag, secured his spot with a 1:26:24 runner-up finish.
&ldquo;Today&rsquo;s race was not really a race for me, it was really really tough," Bosworth said. "I have suffered with an injury over the last month, but you know, I have qualified for my second Olympic Games, I&rsquo;m on the plane."
Heather Lewis won the women's race in 1:34:49, short of the 1:31:00 qualifying standard.
British Athletics for World Athletics

Chris Thompson and Stephanie Davis secured their marathon spots for the Tokyo Olympic Games at the Müller British Athletics Marathon and 20km Race Walk Trial at London's Kew Gardens on Friday (26).

Thompson and Davis cruise to victory at British Olympic marathon trials

Running alone from 30km, Mizuki Matsuda won the Nagoya Women&rsquo;s Marathon, a&nbsp;World Athletics Platinum Label&nbsp;road race, on Sunday (14) in 2:21:51 but was disappointed to fall short of her time goal.
Matsuda, who ran her PB of 2:21:47 at last year&rsquo;s Osaka Women&rsquo;s Marathon, had been targeting a Japanese record and sub-2:20 clocking to also improve the course record of 2:20:29. Reportedly in great shape, it was unfortunate for her that much of the race was severely affected with a headwind.
&ldquo;My goal was to surpass my time from last year. So, I am very disappointed and feel very frustrated for failing to fulfil my time goal today,&rdquo; said Matsuda immediately after the race. She then repeatedly apologised for not running a faster time. &ldquo;For most of the race I felt I was fighting the headwind. The race was very tough after 30km when I started running completely alone, for I felt nothing but headwind after that point.&rdquo;&nbsp; &nbsp;
Still, 2:21:51 is the second-fastest time of her career. It was also her third victory at the women-only race, with Matsuda&rsquo;s only loss on Japanese soil being at the Grand Marathon Championships, Japanese Olympic Trials Marathon.
The race started fast &ndash; quicker than the planned pace of 3:20 for each kilometre. The first and second kilometres were both covered in 3:16. Thus, about four minutes into the race, the lead pack separated into two &ndash; a small lead pack consisting of Matsuda, Sayaka Sato, Mao Uesugi, Ikumi Fukura and pacemakers, and a large chase pack.
First to fall off the lead pack, after 10km, was debutante Fukura, followed by Uesugi after 12km. Three of the four pacemakers also left the race earlier than expected. By 13km the lead pack was reduced to three &ndash; Matsuda, Sato and pacer Monica Wanjiru.
As the race progressed, the wind started to pick up. After 22km, Sato too started to drift back leaving Matsuda and Wanjiru in front to fight the wind. At 30km Wanjiru left the race, leaving Matsuda to chase a fast time against the headwind. She had been planning to run a faster second half but the strong headwind marred her race plan. Gutting it out, she held on to run the fifth-fastest time over the Nagoya Marathon course.&nbsp;
Sato finished second with 2:24:32.
&ldquo;I wanted to set a personal best at the very least, so I am very disappointed with my time,&rdquo; said Sato after the race.
Natsumi Matsushita, a debutante, moved up from the second pack to finish third in 2:26:26. A total of 13 runners cracked the 2:30 barrier.&nbsp; &nbsp;
When asked about her future plans at the end of the post-race interview, Matsuda said: &ldquo;I am going to train hard and continue to chase the national record.&rdquo;
Ken Nakamura for World Athletics
<h4>Leading results</h4>
1 Mizuki Matsuda&nbsp;2:21:51 2&nbsp;Sayaka Sato&nbsp;2:24:32 3&nbsp;Natsumi Matsushita&nbsp;2:26:26 4&nbsp;Mirai Waku&nbsp;2:26:30 5&nbsp;Hanae Tanaka&nbsp;2:26:49 6&nbsp;Yomogi Akasaka&nbsp;2:26:51 7&nbsp;Mao Uesugi&nbsp;2:27:03 8&nbsp;Misaki Kato&nbsp;2:27:20 9&nbsp;Chiharu Ikeda&nbsp;2:27:39 10&nbsp;Ikumi Fukura&nbsp;2:28:31

Running alone from 30km, Mizuki Matsuda won the Nagoya Women’s Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, on Sunday (14) in 2:21:51 but was disappointed to fall short of her time goal.

Matsuda wins Nagoya Women's Marathon, but misses target time

The Nagoya Women&rsquo;s Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, returns on Sunday (14) with a restricted domestic field because of Covid-19.&nbsp;
Traditionally the largest women-only marathon in the world, this year&rsquo;s event will be the first mass-participation distance race to be held in Japan since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic. Unlike the Osaka Women&rsquo;s Marathon in January, the event this weekend will take place over the traditional city-wide course, with the usual 20,000-strong field set to be reduced to 5000 and a virtual race to be held alongside.
The fastest of the four invited elite runners is Mizuki Matsuda, who ran her 2:21:47 PB at the 2020 Osaka Women&rsquo;s Marathon. Matsuda has openly stated that she wants to run a national record or at least a sub-2:20 clocking on Sunday. The race plan of her coach is for Matsuda to pick up the pace dramatically in the closing stages like Kengo Suzuki did two weeks ago when setting a Japanese record at the Lake Biwa Marathon.&nbsp;
Rei Ohara, Sayaka Sato and Reia Iwade are also invited. Originally Ayuko Suzuki, selected for Japan&rsquo;s Olympic marathon team, was one of the invited runners but she pulled out of the race last week citing injury to her left leg.
Ohara set her personal best of 2:23:20 at the 2016 Nagoya Women&rsquo;s Marathon, when she finished one second behind Tomomi Tanaka and thus missed making the Rio Olympic marathon team. Three years later at the Marathon Grand Championships, the Japanese Olympic Marathon Trials, she finished four seconds behind Ayuko Suzuki, missing making the Olympic team by a slim margin for the second time. Ohara will be running her fourth Nagoya Women&rsquo;s Marathon on Sunday.
One of the promising upcoming runners is Sato, who finished fifth last year with 2:23:27 on her debut. At the national championships in December she took on a pacemaking role for her teammate Hitomi Niiya who went on to break the Japanese 10,000m record, while Sato improved her 10,000m best by nearly 30 seconds from 31:59.64 to 31:30.19 to finish third. Although Sato states her goal for Sunday as a modest 2:23, her coach thinks a much faster time is possible. With a much improved 10,000m time, she could definitely challenge Matsuda for the top spot on the podium.
Iwade has run every Nagoya Women&rsquo;s Marathon since 2015 and recorded her personal best of 2:23:52 at the 2019 edition. After recording 2:24 at the 2016 Nagoya Women&rsquo;s Marathon when she was 21, Iwade was considered one of the promising runners of Japan. Although she improved her personal best in 2019, she has yet to fully realise her potential.&nbsp;
Another notable entry is Haruka Yamaguchi, who recorded her personal best of 2:26:35 at the 2020 Osaka Women&rsquo;s Marathon. Unlike most of the elite runners in Japan, she does not run for a corporate team and some say she is the fastest amateur runner in Japan. Her goal for the marathon is 2:24.
Ken Nakamura for World Athletics
Invited runners: Mizuki Matsuda, 2:21:47 Rei Ohara, 2:23:20 Sayaka Sato, 2:23:27 Reia Iwade, 2:23:52

The Nagoya Women’s Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, returns on Sunday (14) with a restricted domestic field because of Covid-19. 

Matsuda targets Japanese record at Nagoya Women's Marathon

The Nagoya Women’s Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label road race, returns on Sunday (14) with a restricted domestic field because of Covid-19.