After almost a yr of relaxation, Uganda’s long-distance icon Joshua Cheptegei is about to make his 2025 debut on the Tokyo Marathon on Sunday March 2.
The 2 time Olympic champion, who transitioned to the marathon final yr, will likely be aiming for his first main street race victory in what guarantees to be a extremely aggressive discipline.
Cheptegei, the present 5,000m and 10,000m world report holder, made his marathon debut on the Valencia Marathon in 2023, the place he clocked a private finest of two:08:59.
Now, he returns to motion in Tokyo, an occasion that not solely serves as a World Athletics Championships 2025 Choice Trial however can also be identified for being dominated by Kenyan and Ethiopian runners.
Becoming a member of Cheptegei within the race will likely be fellow Ugandan Stephen Kissa, an skilled marathoner typically seen as a tempo setter in elite races.
Kissa holds a nationwide report of two:04:48, achieved on the Hamburg Marathon in 2022.
Stephen Kissa
The duo will face stiff competitors from Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta and defending champion Benson Kipruto of Kenya, who received the 2024 Tokyo Marathon in 2:02:16.
Each Cheptegei and Kisa have already arrived in Tokyo and are gearing up for a high-stakes showdown.
Joshua Cheptegei and Stephen Kissa arriving in Tokyo.
With Cheptegei’s transition to the marathon nonetheless in its early levels, all eyes will likely be on how he fares towards a number of the world’s finest distance runners.
