Athletics: Legese wins virus-affected Tokyo Marathon, Japan record for Osako
12:30, 1 March 2020
TOKYO. KAZINFORM Ethiopia's Birhanu Legese won the Tokyo Marathon for the second straight year Sunday, while Japan's Suguru Osako moved closer to Olympic selection after finishing fourth in a national record time.
The ongoing coronavirus outbreak forced organizers to limit entry to around 200 elite competitors, including wheelchair athletes, Kyodo reports.
Only a tenth of the usual number of volunteers were involved, while promotional events normally held in conjunction with the marathon were canceled altogether.
The 25-year-old Legese crossed the finish line in central Tokyo in a time of 2 hours, 4 minutes, 15 seconds. Belgium's Bashir Abdi was second in 2:04:49, edging out third-placed Sisay Lemma of Ethiopia by 0.02 second.
Osako knocked 21 seconds off his own national record to finish in 2:05:29 and give himself a strong chance of qualification for the July 24 to Aug. 9 Tokyo Olympics.