Weekend Preview: Tokyo Marathon, US Half Champs, & NCAA Conference Madness

The NCAA has trademarked “March Madness” to describe its annual basketball tournament, but the phrase would be appropriate to describe the upcoming weekend of running action around the globe. Maybe we go with March Mayhem instead? March Mania?

Saturday is the first day of March, and over the course of this weekend, we have the following events in store:

• The first Abbott World Marathon Major of the year in Tokyo
• Virtually every major NCAA indoor conference championship (including the SEC, Big 10, Big 12, and ACC)
• The USATF Half Marathon Championships in Atlanta, where the US will select its team for this year’s World Half Champs in San Diego
• The last Boston University meet of the season, with athletes like Nico Young, Graham Blanks, Dylan Jacobs, Whittni Morgan, and more chasing fast times

It’s a lot to keep track of, so here’s what you need to know about who is racing where and how to watch.

Tokyo Marathon

When: Saturday, 7:10 p.m. ET (9 a.m. Sunday Japan time)
How to watch: Live on FloTrack (US and Canada); internationally, check local listings — Eurosport, Canal+, ESPN International, and RTVE (Spain) hold broadcast rights. Need a VPN? Use the VPN we use.
*Elite fields

For US fans, the Tokyo Marathon is one of the best majors from a viewing perspective as you can watch it live in primetime (Saturday night).

You might think that with the London Marathon assembling one of the greatest fields ever that there would not be as much intrigue in the other winter/spring marathons in 2025. But Tokyo has put together some pretty impressive fields, with a few big names on the men’s side and some nice depth on the women’s side (three women sub-2:17, two more sub-2:18).

While London features Olympic champ Tamirat Tola and the heavily-anticipated debut of half marathon world record holder Jacob Kiplimo, the top two men from LetsRun.com’s 2024 world rankings will actually be in Tokyo: Kenya’s Benson Kipruto and Ethiopia’s Deresa Geleta. Kipruto, who won Boston in 2021 and Chicago in 2022, ran a pb and course record of 2:02:16 to win Tokyo last year (#6 all-time), then earned Olympic bronze in Paris. He is also incredibly consistent, having finished on the podium in eight straight marathons (the last seven of which were majors). Geleta, meanwhile, won Seville last year in 2:03:27, then finished 5th at the Olympics and 2nd in Valencia in 2:02:38. Tokyo will be his World Marathon Major debut. The 29-year-old showed at the Olympics that he can compete at the highest level, but how will he handle his fourth marathon in 13 months?

The other big storyline in the men’s race is the return of Joshua Cheptegei. Over the last decade, the 28-year-old Ugandan has accomplished everything on the track: world records in the 5,000 and 10,000, Olympic gold in the 5,000 and 10,000, plus three world titles in the 10,000 and even one in cross country. Now he is looking for a new challenge and has said he will focus on the marathon moving forward.

Cheptegei made his debut in Valencia in December 2023, and it did not go well. He missed time during his buildup due to a foot injury, and didn’t run a ton of miles (87-99 per week) due to muddy conditions in his training base of Kapchorwa. Despite that, he went out with the leaders, hitting halfway in 60:36, and wound up blowing up, finishing 37th in 2:08:59.

Cheptegei should run faster on Sunday, but his range of outcomes is wide. Guys like Cheptegei aren’t wired to go out in the second group and the first group is planning on going out in 60:50 according to Brett Larner. If Cheptegei is fit enough to run 2:02/2:03, then it’s no problem if he goes out with Kipruto/Geleta and fades toward the end. But if he’s only in 2:04/2:05 shape and tries to run 2:02, that second half could be painful like it was in Valencia.

The bet here is that Cheptegei will run well — remember, the guy won the Olympic 10,000 six months ago. But it will be interesting to see what happens if he struggles again. Would he continue to stick it out in the marathon, or would he be tempted to return to the track in time for the 2025 Worlds in Tokyo?

Domestically for the men, Japan’s top finisher in the Paris Olympics, 6th placer Akira Akasaki (2:07:32 pb) is entered, as is Yohei Ikeda, who ran 2:05:12 in Berlin last fall to move to #2 on the all-time Japanese list (the national record is 2:04:56 by Kengo Suzuki from 2021). Brett Larner notes that “Ikeda won the Jan. 1 New Year Ekiden’s 21.9 km 2nd leg in 1:01:48, equivalent to a 59:33 half marathon.”

The top entrants in the women’s race are Ethiopia’s Sutume Kebede, who set a course record of 2:15:55 to win last year, and Kenya’s Rosemary Wanjiru, who won Tokyo in 2023 and was 2nd last year in a pb of 2:16:14. Neither ran at the Olympics (Kebede was 2nd in Chicago, Wanjiru withdrew from Berlin), so each will have something to prove this weekend. Kebede said at the pre-race press conference that she is ready to go, “I’ve covered everything in training, long distance, speed work, everything. I’m in PB shape.”

Ethiopia’s Tigist Ketema rounds out the “Big Three” in Tokyo — she was one of only two women to break 2:17 twice in 2024, which she did to win Dubai (2:16:07) and Berlin (2:16:42). 2022 world champ/2023 Worlds silver medalist Gotytom Gebreslase is also in the field, though she failed to break 2:20 in either of her marathons last year (2:21 in Hamburg, 2:24 in Sydney).

Want more Tokyo info? Japan Running News’ Brett Larner, who is the commentator on the international tv broadcast, has written an excellent preview of the race on his website which we highly encourage you to read: Brett Larner’s Tokyo Marathon preview.
*Full Tokyo Marathon Preview by World Athletics

Elite fields

Women
Sutume Kebede (ETH) 2:15:55
Tigist Ketema (ETH) 2:16:07
Rosemary Wanjiru (KEN) 2:16:14
Hawi Feysa (ETH) 2:17:25
Degitu Azimeraw (ETH) 2:17:58
Gotytom Gebreslase (ETH) 2:18:11
Winfridah Moraa Moseti (KEN) 2:18:25
Mestawut Fikir (ETH) 2:18:48
Magdalyne Masai (KEN) 2:18:58
Ai Hosoda (JPN) 2:20:31
Desi Jisa Mokonin (BRN) 2:20:47
Yuka Ando (JPN) 2:21:18
Jessica Stenson (AUS) 2:24:01
Zhang Deshun (CHN) 2:24:05
Rie Kawauchi (JPN) 2:25:35
Kaori Morita (JPN) 2:26:31
Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh (MGL) 2:26:32
Shiho Kaneshige (JPN) 2:28:51

Men
Benson Kipruto (KEN) 2:02:16
Deresa Geleta (ETH) 2:02:38
Birhanu Legese (ETH) 2:02:48
Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich (KEN) 2:03:13
Tadese Takele (ETH) 2:03:24
Dawit Wolde (ETH) 2:03:48
Leul Gebresilase (ETH) 2:04:02
Stephen Kissa (UGA) 2:04:48
Tsegaye Getachew (ETH) 2:04:49
Amedework Walelegn (ETH) 2:04:50
Titus Kipruto (KEN) 2:04:54
Yohei Ikeda (JPN) 2:05:12
Mulugeta Asefa Uma (ETH) 2:05:33
Ichitaka Yamashita (JPN) 2:05:51
Kenya Sonota (JPN) 2:05:59
Hiroto Inoue (JPN) 2:06:47
He Jie (CHN) 2:06:57
Vincent Raimoi (KEN) 2:07:01
Hendrik Pfeiffer (GER) 2:07:14
Akira Akasaki (JPN) 2:07:32
Suldan Hassan (SWE) 2:07:36
Joshua Cheptegei (UGA) 2:08:59
Geoffrey Toroitich (KEN) debut

NCAA conference championships

The meets will be held at various locations and times. For a full list of schedules, entries, results and how to watch, check out the USTFCCCA website.

NCAA onference championship weekend is always wild, and the 2025 edition is particularly interesting given traditional West coast powers USC, Washington, and Oregon will finally all be competing in a legitimate conference meet after relocating to the Big 10.

Strand set the NCAA mile record in Boston on February 1

It’s tough to preview everything given we still don’t have complete start lists at the time we are writing this (Thursday night). But both the Big 10 and ACC meets should be rich with middle distance talent. The ACC features the two fastest milers in NCAA history in North Carolina’s Ethan Strand (3:48.32) and Virginia’s Gary Martin (3:48.82) — watch for them to square off in either the mile or 3000. They should also battle on the DMR, where UVA (9:14.19), Wake Forest (9:17.17), and UNC (9:17.19) are all currently ranked in the top 5 in the NCAA.

One note about the ACC meet in Louisville: unusually, most of the finals will be held on Monday afternoon this year due to a late change in venue.

The Big 10 meet features 25 sub-4 milers – yes 25 (of course it helps that there are 18 teams in the Big “10”) – including Washington’s Nathan Green (3:50.74 sb) and Ronan McMahon-Staggs (3:51.85 sb) as well as star redshirt freshman Simeon Birnbaum of Oregon (3:52.81 sb) and 2024 NCAA mile runner-up Adam Spencer of Wisconsin.

On the women’s side, the SEC meet features a showdown between sub-2:00 800m women Sanu Jallow of Arkansas and Michaela Rose of LSU, while NCAA XC champ Doris Lemngole of Alabama faces NCAA XC 3rd-placer Hilda Olemomoi of Florida in the 3000.

USATF Half Marathon Championships

When: Sunday, 7:15 a.m. ET
How to watch: Live on the Atlanta Track Club YouTube page
*Elite fields

This year, the USATF Half Marathon Championships will be held as part of the Publix Atlanta Half Marathon and the fields are among the strongest in event history. That is because the top three finishers will earn spots on Team USA for the World Half Marathon Championship, which is being held as part of the World Athletics Road Running Championships in San Diego from September 26-28 — the first time the US has ever hosted that championship.

The men’s race features five Olympians: Leonard Korir (2016 10k, 2024 marathon), Hillary Bor (2016, 2021 steeple), Clayton Young (2024 marathon), Joe Klecker (2021 10k), and Shadrack Kipchirchir (2016 10k). Of that group, Bor has the best time this year, having run 60:20 at the Houston Half on January 19. Young (60:52) and Klecker (61:06 in his debut) both ran Houston as well but were disappointed with their performances.

LRC Road Racer Joe Klecker Speaks Before US Half Marathon Champs in Atlanta: “My half marathon in Houston, definitely left me wanting quite a bit more.”

Kevin Morris photo

Other notable men include Andrew Colley (60:47 in Houston), Oklahoma State alum Alex Maier (60:51 in Houston), and Reed Fischer (60:54 in Houston, 2:10:14 marathon pb) as well as Biya Simbassa (2:06:53 at Valencia Marathon in December), Teshome Mekonen (60:02 pb), and USA 5k road champ Ahmed Muhumed of NAZ Elite.

Weini Kelati, who just ran an American record of 66:09 in Houston, is the heavy favorite in the women’s race. Former AR holder Sara Hall (67:15 pb), now 41, is also running, as is 2024 marathon Olympian Dakotah Popehn (formerly Lindwurm), and Amanda Vestri, who ran 67:35 to finish as the second American (4th overall) in the women’s race in Houston.

Last Chance Indoor National Qualifier at Boston University

When: Sunday (distance events begin at 1:25 p.m. ET, schedule here)
How to watch: Live on FloTrack
*Elite fields

This is the last Boston University meet of the season, which means the last chance for many pros to chase a super fast time during the 2025 indoor season.

One of the main aims in the mile will be to get athletes qualified either for outdoor Worlds (where the standard is 3:50.00) or indoor Worlds (where the standard is 3:50.50). Even if athletes miss the auto standard for World Indoors, they can still earn an invitation to compete from World Athletics based on season’s best, so there is an incentive to run as fast as possible. USA Indoors 4th placer Vincent Ciattei is listed among the entries at BU, but runner-up Sam Prakel and 3rd-placer Luke Houser, both of whom lack the standard but expressed interest in World Indoors, will presumably be running here as well to chase the time. Ollie Hoare of the On Athletics Club and Australia is also in the mile.

The women’s mile is also strong and features Olympic 6th placer Susan Ejore of Kenya (seeking the World Indoor auto standard of 4:22.50), Millrose 3k champ Whittni Morgan, and 2024 NCAA mile champ Maia Ramsden, now with the On Athletics Club.

The men’s 3,000 features New Balance pro Graham Blanks, who skipped USA indoors last week, and On’s Kieran Lumb. The deepest race of the day may be the men’s 5,000, which includes Adriaan Wildschutt, Nico Young, Dylan Jacobs, Ky Robinson, and Drew Hunter. That race is set to be paced for 12:56 with the Worlds standard of 13:01.00 the obvious goal. OAC teammates Josette Andrews and Olivia Markezich lead the women’s 5,000 field. The Worlds standard is 14:50.00 in that event.

Discuss this meet on the LetsRun.com messageboard:

MB Hold On! One More BU Meet To Go — Featuring the Highest Quality Men’s 5000 Field this Winter