On July 6, 2026, the Hokkaido Marathon organizing committee announced the list of invited athletes. The name of 不破圣衣来 — the third-fastest Japanese woman ever over 10,000m (30:45.21) — was conspicuous; she will make her full marathon debut.
Currently23-year-old 不破圣衣来 was already famed during her Takushoku University days for an astonishing ability to surge past rivals, repeatedly producing thrilling streaks of overtaking in major ekiden events.
Her best-known achievement came at the 2021 All-Japan Women's University Ekiden,where, as a first-year student on the longest leg, section 5, she passed six runners in succession and posted 28:00, shaving 1:14 off the section record.。
Later, at the 2021 Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden, she produced on section 5a display in which she passed 10 runners in succession(32:23), breaking the section record by 1:54; and at the 2022 National Women's Ekiden she even achievedthe feat of passing 13 runners in a single outing. 。
Photo credit:fujiki._.runner
Although she was subsequently hampered by injuries, she has shown signs of recovery this season. In February this year, at the All-Japan Corporate Half Marathon she made her half-marathon debut in harsh -2°C conditions, running 1:09:39, and two days ago at the Gold Coast she completed her second half with 1:10:53.
Photo credit: _jeljel_24
On the women's side,Japan's women's half-marathon record holder(1:06:38), Japan's third-fastest woman in marathon history(2:19:24), and now 38 years oldHitomi Niiya will compete in a full marathon again after a two-year hiatus.，Two generations of Japanese women runners will meet head-to-head in Hokkaido — plenty to watch for.
The men's field is equally star-studded, including Yuta Koyama, who has already secured MGC qualification, and Hibiki Yoshida, who in Osaka in March led solo until 37 km before collapsing yet still finished in 2:09:35, among others.
At the summer-start Hokkaido Marathon, high temperatures and a fairly demanding course mean it's often not regarded as a fast course. The event's Japanese men's course record isCreated by Naoki Okamoto in 20182:11:29, the Japanese women's course record comes from Kiyoko Shimahara's 2009 run.2:25:10。
In Sapporo at the end of August, can Seira Fuwa continue her "otherworldly" overtaking displays and astonish everyone in her full-marathon debut? Let's wait and see.
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Text/Editor: MP
Image source: Internet
Visual: Max
