FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
On the Invited Athletes of Tokyo Marathon 2014
Ever since 2010, as the preparation to be a part of the World Marathon
Majors, we have strived to organize the 'world class' marathon race. Two
years ago our dream was fulfilled when the Tokyo Marathon joined the World
Marathon Majors (WMM). Of course, we are striving not just for the world
class race organization, but also striving to be world class in all aspects
of the event, such as "invitation of elite runners" and "elite runner press
conference," as well as elite athletes contracts.
In this year's race, 2:05 runner Abel Kirui, two-time World Champion who
also won the silver medal in the 2012 Olympic Games, and 2:04 runner Tadese
Tola, who finished third in the 2013 World Championships, head the list of
world class invitees and thus the finishing time of 2:04 to 2:05 range is
expected.
So what does the fast race mean for the Japanese? The answer is that the
fastest Japanese from the last three Tokyo Marathon were selected to
represent Japan in the last three global championships - 2011 World
Championships in Daegu, 2012 Olympic Games in London and 2013 World
Championships in Moskva. In this year's race, Arata Fujiwara as well as
Kentaro Nakamoto, all cagey veterans, are expected to run tenaciously.
Furthermore, with upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics in mind, Yuki Sato, Chihiro
Miyawaki and Takehiro Deki, young runners endowed with superior speed, are
expected to run an aggressive race.
The women's field headed by Lucy Kabuu, 2:19 marathon runner, is very high
in caliber also. Among the Japanese Mai Ito, who was seventh fastest (among
47 runners) in the stage one of the Inter-Prefectural Women's Ekiden, seems
to be keeping in shape, and thus expected to run well also in Tokyo.
Although the Tokyo Marathon is not officially the selection race to
determine the Japanese women's team for the global championships, it is
hoped that runners still challenge 2:22:30, the target time for global
championships team selection set by the JAAF (Japan Association of
Athletics Federations).
As for the wheelchair races, Masazumi Soejima and Wakako Tsuchida are
invited again this year, and thus they are expected to bring about top
level competition. In the future, with the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics in mind,
Tokyo Marathon will start to invite world class wheelchair athletes from
abroad.
With the tenth anniversary event in 2016 and the 2020 Olympics/Paralympics
looming over the horizon, we are striving for more exciting races in the
future.
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