The Tokyo International Marathon was a marathon for male elite runners held in Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

, Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, from 1980 until 2006.

It actually consisted of two marathons - the Tokyo International Marathon which took place on even years, and Tokyo-New York Friendship International Marathon which took place on odd years. In the inaugural year, 1981, both marathons took place. However, because it was not possible to support two marathons a month apart in the same city, from 1982, the alternating format went into effect.

It was replaced by the Tokyo Marathon

Tokyo Marathon

The Tokyo International Marathon was a marathon for male elite runners held in Tokyo, Japan, from 1980 until 2006.It actually consisted of two marathons - the Tokyo International Marathon which took place on even years, and Tokyo-New York Friendship International Marathon which took place on odd...

, a race which is open to general runners of both sexes. Between 1979 and 2008 there was also a Tokyo International Women's Marathon

Tokyo International Women's Marathon

The Tokyo International Women's Marathon was a marathon for female elite runners held in Tokyo from 1979 until 2008 in November.It was first held in November 1979, and this race was the first women's marathon officially sanctioned by the International Amateur Athletic Federation...

 for female elite runners in November.

Winners

Key:

Year	Athlete	Country	Time
1981 Feb	Hideki Kita Hideki Kita is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan.-Achievements:-References:...		2:12:04
1981 Mar	Rodolfo Gomez Rodolfo Gómez Rodolfo Gómez Orozco is a retired long-distance runner, who was one of the leading runners represented from Mexico in the 1970s and 1980s...		2:11:00
1982	Vadim Sidorov Vadim Sidorov Vadim Sidorov is a retired male long-distance runner from Russia. He outfinished Britain's Hugh Jones in the final 600 meters to win the 1982 Tokyo Marathon.-Achievements:-References:*...		2:10:33
1983	Toshihiko Seko Toshihiko Seko Toshihiko Seko is a Japanese long-distance runner, a world-class marathon competitor in the 1980s...		2:08:38
1984	Juma Ikangaa Juma Ikangaa Juma Ikangaa marathon runner from Tanzania, a sentimental favorite in Boston after finishing second three years in a row atthe Boston Marathon from 1988-1990...		2:10:49
1985	Shigeru So Shigeru So is a retired long-distance runner from Japan, who represented his native country at two Summer Olympics: 1976 and 1984. He won the 1985 edition of the Tokyo Marathon...		2:10:32
1986	Juma Ikangaa		2:08:10
1987	Hiromi Taniguchi Hiromi Taniguchi is a former Japanese long-distance runner best known for winning the gold medal in the marathon at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo. The favourite to win the race, Olympic champion Gelindo Bordin, only finished eighth. The marathon was run under extremely adverse conditions of...		2:10:06
1988	Abebe Mekonnen Abebe Mekonnen Abebe Mekonnen is an Ethiopian long-distance runner.Mekkonen was the winner of the 93rd Boston Marathon in 1989. He also competed for Ethiopia in the 1992 Olympics and 1996 Olympics in the marathon...		2:08:33
1989	Hiromi Taniguchi		2:09:34
1990	Takeyuki Nakayama Takeyuki Nakayama Takeyuki Nakayama was a Japanese world-class marathon runner. He represented his native country at the 1988 in Seoul, South Korea and the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, 1986 Asian Games in Seoul, South Korea .Nakayama's notable marathon wins include Fukuoka Marathon , Seoul marathon...		2:10:57
1991	Abebe Mekonnen		2:10:26
1992	Koichi Morishita Koichi Morishita Koichi Morishita is a retired Japanese male long-distance runner. He competed for Japan at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain where he won the silver medal in the men's marathon event....		2:10:19
1993	Abebe Mekonnen		2:12:00
1994	Steve Moneghetti Steve Moneghetti Stephen James "Steve" Moneghetti is an Australian long-distance runner. Moneghetti has a degree in civil engineering, a graduate diploma in education and an honorary doctorate from the University of Ballarat...		2:08:55
1995	Erick Wainaina		2:10:31
1996	Vanderlei de Lima Vanderlei de Lima Vanderlei Cordeiro de Lima is a former long-distance runner who specialised in marathons. He received international renown after a spectator, a laicized Irish priest, attacked him at the 2004 Summer Olympics marathon while he was leading the race at 35 km...		2:08:38
1997	Koji Shimizu Koji Shimizu is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan. He set his personal best in the men's marathon event on March 2, 2003 at the Lake Biwa Marathon.-Achievements:*All results regarding marathon, unless stated otherwise...		2:10:09
1998	Alberto Juzdado Alberto Juzdado Alberto Juzdado López is a Spanish long-distance runner. He specialized in the marathon race.Juzdado won the Tokyo International Marathon race in 1998.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*3000 metres - 8:08.87 min...		2:08:01
1999	Gert Thys Gert Thys Gert Thys is a male long-distance runner from South Africa, who represented his native country in the marathon at the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics...		2:06:33
2000	Japhet Kosgei Japhet Kosgei Japhet Kosgei is a retired long-distance runner from Kenya, who won several marathons during his career, including the 1999 edition of the Rotterdam Marathon and 2006 Belgrade Marathon. His personal best is 2:07:09. He won the Lisbon Half Marathon 1999.-Achievements:- References :...		2:07:15
2001	Kenichi Takahashi Kenichi Takahashi is a male long-distance runner from Japan. He set his personal best in the men's marathon event on February 18, 2001, winning the Tokyo International Marathon.-Achievements:-References:...		2:10:51
2002	Erick Wainaina		2:08:43
2003	Zebedayo Bayo Zebedayo Bayo Zebedayo Bayo is a Tanzanian long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon.He won the City-Pier-City Loop half marathon in the Hague in 2000.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*10,000 metres - 28:21.60 min...		2:09:07
2004	Daniel Njenga Daniel Njenga Daniel Njenga is a Kenyan long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon.He had his first successes in 1995 as he won the steeplechase gold medal at the 1995 Summer Universiade and also the Chiba International Cross Country meeting...		2:08:43
2005	Toshinari Takaoka Toshinari Takaoka Toshinari Takaoka is a Japanese long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the marathon race...		2:07:41
2006	Ambesse Tolosa Ambesse Tolosa Ambesse Tolosa is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who specializes in the marathon race.Tolosa tested positive for banned substances in February 2008 and received a two-year ban from competitive athletics...		2:08:58

External links

• Tokyo International Women's Marathon official site at asahi.com
  Asahi Shimbun
  The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
  
  
• Tokyo International Marathon at arrs.net
• Tokyo International Marathon at marathoninfo.free.fr