• Tokyo Governor Koike launched the Tokyo marathon dressed in yellow and blue to show her solidarity with Ukraine

Arab News Japan

Tokyo Governor KOIKE Yuriko launched the Tokyo marathon dressed in yellow and blue on Sunday, showing her solidarity with Ukraine, which has been invaded by the Russian army.

The Governor, a former Minister of Defense of Japan, said: “This is today’s original outfit, but I think it is very important to convey a message and promote international cooperation. Even in the midst of a turbulent world, I think it is a big step forward to be able to successfully hold the marathon again during the coronavirus pandemic.”

After two years without the marathon due to the pandemic, the governor told journalists that the runners were impatient to be able to participate in the marathon again and that she was happy to see the smiles of the runners starting off from in front of the Tokyo City Hall building.

At 9:10 a.m., after the governor started the race, about 19,200 marathon runners set off from Tokyo City Hall to Tokyo Station. Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, the world record holder, crossed the lane first in 2 hours, 2 minutes and 40 seconds.

It was the fastest marathon on Japanese soil ever and the fourth fastest overall. It was also his fourth major marathon victory.

Amos Kipruto, also from Kenya, took second place with a time of 2:03:13.

World record holder Brigid Kosgei of Kenya won in the women’s section with a time of 2:16:02. This was also the fastest ever women’s time on Japanese soil.

The race was officially named the 2021 Tokyo Marathon even though the race itself was taking place on the original date for the 2022 edition. The 2021 event was moved from October 2021 to the March 2022 date.