The ASICS Tokyo Speed Race delivered exceptional performances on Saturday as Kenya’s Caroline Nyaga stormed to victory in the women’s 5km, recording an impressive 14:19 to position herself among the all-time greats in road racing history.
Racing on a specially designed flat loop course equipped with pacing lights and finishing near Japan’s iconic National Stadium—the future venue for September’s World Athletics Championships—athletes took full advantage of ideal conditions to post remarkable times across multiple events.
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Nyaga’s performance came just one week after competing in the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen, making her achievement even more noteworthy. The Kenyan slashed 16 seconds from her previous best to record a time only her compatriots Beatrice Chebet and Agnes Ngetich have bettered on the roads.
“I’m so grateful, I’m happy,” said an emotional Nyaga after her race. “I was not expecting to run such a time because last Saturday I competed in Xiamen, so I was a bit tired. I have even cried because of this achievement.”
The men’s 5km title went to Uganda’s Harbert Kibet, who crossed the line in 13:00. The 19-year-old talent maintained a solid lead throughout the final loop, finishing 10 seconds ahead of Mohamed Ismail from Djibouti, who improved his own national record with 13:10.
Italy’s Nadia Battocletti claimed second place behind Nyaga in the women’s 5km, setting a new European record of 14:32. Kenya’s Maurine Jepkoech rounded out the podium with a solid 14:40 performance.
In the 10km races, Ethiopia’s Jemal Yimer secured victory in dramatic fashion with a time of 27:10 after Kenya’s Vincent Kibet Langat made a costly navigation error while holding a slight lead. Uganda’s Joy Cheptoyek dominated the women’s 10km, winning comfortably in 30:22.
The event proved fertile ground for national records, with Djibouti’s Samiyah Hassan Nour (30:40), Australia’s Isobel Batt-Doyle (30:44), and France’s Mekdes Woldu (31:01) all setting new marks in the women’s 10km. Similar breakthroughs occurred in the men’s races, with South Africa’s Maxime Chaumeton (13:13) and Japan’s Tomoki Ota (13:30) establishing new 5km national standards.
USA’s Abbabiya Simbassa impressed with a North American record of 27:32 in the men’s 10km, while Australia’s Sam Clifford followed closely with his own national record of 27:34. Olympic triathlon silver medalist Hayden Wilde of New Zealand also showed his versatility with a strong 27:39 finish.
As athletes continue preparations for major championships later this year, this Tokyo event has firmly established itself as a premier platform for world-class road racing performances.
