The 2026 Tokyo Marathon will take place on March 1, with the start gun at 9:10 JST. Officials recently released the pace schedule and the pacemaking team lineup that have attracted wide attention from runners. This race features 16 pace groups.One of the biggest highlights isthe man once dubbed "the strongest civil servant", Yuki Kawauchi, will return to the Tokyo Marathon as an official pacer; he will lead the "Sub 2:50 (under 2 hours 50 minutes)" pace group. As the legendary figure who once set the Guinness World Record for“100 marathon finishes under 2 hours 20 minutes”he is undoubtedly a shot in the arm for runners worldwide, and his presence gives those aiming for the 2:50 barrier more confidence and expectation. Yuki Kawauchi also sent his blessings to runners worldwide via social media: "I will serve as the official 'Sub 2:50' pacemaker for this year's Tokyo Marathon. This is my first time returning to the Tokyo Marathon since 2012 — 14 years later — and I will be running on the new course that finishes in front of Tokyo Station for the first time." Although it's my first time running this new course, Kawauchi said he has run the old course with a similar route, as well as races like the MGC and the Tokyo Legend Half, "so I will make sure to hold a steady pace and help as many runners as possible reach their goals.I hope Tokyo Marathon 2026 can become an important chapter in everyone's life!To all runners with the same goal, let's do our best together on race day!"" And for another popular target,3 hours 07 minutes, it happens to be the qualifying standard for the Osaka International Ladies Marathon. The official pacer was Japan's race-walking star Hayato Katsuki. He won the men's 50 km race walk at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games, took team silver in the mixed 35 km race walk at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, and earned bronze in the men's 35 km race walk at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. The two experienced pacers leading the way also helped crank up the PB-chasing atmosphere at this year's Tokyo Marathon. Will you participate in this year's Tokyo Marathon? What's your target time? Are you readyto run alongside Kawauchion the same course, under the same starting gun, to start together, draft together, and sprint across the finish line in front of Tokyo Station? See you on the Tokyo Marathon course!
