Suzuki leads Japan marathon for World Athletics Championships Oregon22

Japan has announced its marathon team for the World Athletics Championships Oregon22. The national governing body on Tuesday (29), named six athletes who will represent the country in Eugene, later this summer.

National record-holder Kengo Suzuki headlines the men’s team roster and will be joined by Gaku Hoshi and Yusuke Nishiyama for the global event, while the women’s team features Olympian Mao Ichiyama and Hitomi Niiya, as well as Mizuki Matsuda.

READ MORE: Results from the 2022 Tokyo Marathon; record times by Kipchoge, Kosgei

Suzuki broke the Japanese record with a personal best run of 2:04:56 at the Lake Biwa Marathon last year and finished fourth at this year’s delayed 2020 Tokyo Marathon with a time of 2:05:28.

In his only performance so far this season, the 26-year-old finished fourth at the Tokyo Marathon 2022 with a time of 2:05:28 on 6 March.

Hoshi won this year’s Osaka Marathon on his debut in 2:07:31 and Nishiyama won the Beppu-Oita Marathon, also when making his debut, clocking 2:07:47.

READ ALSO: World Athletics Championships Oregon22 New ticket inventory to be released

Ichiyama, whose PB of 2:20:29 from 2020 is the women-only national record, won the 2021 Osaka Women’s Marathon and then finished eighth at the Olympic Games before a sixth-place finish in Tokyo earlier this month.

Matsuda won this year’s Osaka Women’s Marathon in a PB of 2:20:52, while Niiya ran 2:21:17 to place seventh in Tokyo.

The World Athletics Championships will take place from 15-24 July.

Japanese World Athletics Championships Oregon22 marathon team

Women: Mao Ichiyama, Mizuki Matsuda, and Hitomi Niiya

Men: Kengo Suzuki, Gaku Hoshi, and Yusuke Nishiyama