5.1°
Cold and wet, steady rain at 5.1 C with 94 percent humidity and light northerly wind
2007 Ballot results
The datasheet
Tokyo Marathon 2007 ballot: 77,521 applications
The inaugural Tokyo Marathon on 18 February 2007 turned an elite men's race into a 25,000-runner mass event, drawing 77,521 marathon applicants for its 26,058 places, and Daniel Njenga won the first edition in 2:09:45.
Applications
77,521
Ballot acceptance
34%
26,058 of 77,521 accepted
Field size
25,102
Total finishers
Race day
Feb 18
2007
Semi-elite
M2:21 W2:52
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2007 notable
The defining story of 2007 was the birth of the race itself. Tokyo folded the elite-only Tokyo International Marathon and the alternating Tokyo-New York Friendship Marathon into one mass event, opening the start line to 25,000 marathon runners for the first time. Demand was immediate: 77,521 people applied for a marathon place. Race morning was miserable, steady rain at 5.1 degrees with 94 percent humidity, yet 25,102 runners finished, a 96.3 percent completion rate. Daniel Njenga, a winner of the old elite race, broke away after 25km and took the first mass-era title in 2:09:45, 1:37 clear of Tomoyuki Sato. Hitomi Niiya won the women's race in 2:31:01 on her marathon debut.
Year over year
Applications over time
Applications · 2007 → 2025
78K130K226K272K294K283K303K302K305K309K321K320K330K300K
'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'25
FAQ
Questions about the 2007 ballot
When was the first Tokyo Marathon held?
The inaugural Tokyo Marathon, the 1st edition, was run on Sunday, 18 February 2007. It was the first mass-participation edition after the city merged its earlier elite races into one annual event.
How many people applied for the 2007 Tokyo Marathon?
The Tokyo Marathon Foundation received 77,521 applications for the marathon and drew 26,058 entrants, an acceptance rate near 34 percent, with 25,102 runners finishing.
Who won the inaugural 2007 Tokyo Marathon?
Daniel Njenga of Kenya won the men's race in 2:09:45, breaking clear after 25km. Hitomi Niiya of Japan won the women's race in 2:31:01 on her marathon debut.
What was the weather like on race day in 2007?
It was cold and wet, with steady rain at 5.1 degrees Celsius, 94 percent humidity, and a light northerly wind. Despite the conditions 96.3 percent of marathon starters finished.
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