Kondo Sets Japan Marathon Debut Record with Blistering Sub-2:06

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:27 JST, February 24, 2025

OSAKA — Ryota Kondo broke the Japan men’s record for a debut marathon, running a sub-2:06 in finishing second at the Osaka Marathon on Monday and putting him in position for a place on Japan’s team to this year’s world championships in Tokyo.

Kondo clocked 2 hours 5 minutes 39 seconds to put him fifth on Japan’s all-time men’s list and break by 28 seconds the previous debut marathon mark, set by Hiroki Wakabayashi at the Beppu-Oita Marathon on Feb. 2.

Kondo was on pace to add the race title to the record when he was passed late in the race and lost a final sprint to the finish to Ethiopia’s Yihunilign Adane, who won by two seconds in a personal-best and meet record 2:05:37.

Fellow Ethiopian Abdisa Tola was third in 2:05:52, while Japan’s Kyohei Hosoya also dipped under 2:06 by finishing fourth in 2:05:58.

The men’s national marathon record is currently held by Kengo Suzuki, who clocked 2:04:56 at the 2021 Lake Biwa Marathon.