The Tokyo marathon held on Sunday and 24-year-old Ethiopian, Birhanu Legese, finished first with a time of 2 hours 4 minutes and 48 seconds. The race was run under very harsh weather conditions. Legese ran the first 30km with a small leading group before breaking away from the runnerup, Bedan Karoki from Kenya, for an easy finish.
◆ Tokyo Marathon Men’s Champion: Birhanu LEGESE (?? Ethiopia) 02:04:48
“I’m very happy. I want to thank the people of Tokyo. Though the weather was bad, their kindness affected my performance. The course was good, and if the weather was better I might have broken 02:03:00.” pic.twitter.com/xzZoFfDR8N— Tokyo Marathon Foundation (@TokyoMarathon_E) March 3, 2019
We all knew the race would not be one of the fastest in the world due to the frigid and wet conditions experienced that morning. Japan had hoped their national record holder would win the marathon, a first since 2010, but it was not to be so as he struggled to stay with the leading pack early in the race. He had to pull out after reaching the 30km mark due to injury.
Birhanu Legese of Ethiopia won the 2019 #TokyoMarathon on Sunday in the men’s race with a time of 2.04:48. Ruti Aga came in first in the women’s race with a time of 2.20:40…#247RUNNING#winners #results pic.twitter.com/StKGYHoMq3
— #247RUNNING (@247running) March 3, 2019
In the women’s race, an Ethiopian, Ruti Aga, also emerged victorious with a time of 2 hours 20 minutes and 40 seconds. She was ahead of her compatriot, Helen Tola by just 21 seconds. This makes it six out of eight for Ethiopian women in the Tokyo marathon.
