Fair and breezy, described by the winner as nice weather with some wind that was not a problem overall
2016 Ballot results
The datasheet
Tokyo Marathon 2016 ballot: 308,810 applications
Helah Kiprop ran a women's course record 2:21:27 at the 10th Tokyo Marathon while Feyisa Lilesa took the men's title in 2:06:56, with 27,370 marathon places drawn from 308,810 general lottery applicants.
Applications
308,810
Ballot acceptance
8.9%
27,370 of 308,810 accepted
Field size
34,697
Total finishers
Race day
Feb 28
2016
Ballot open
Aug 1
2015
Ballot close
Aug 31
2015
Semi-elite
M2:21 W2:52
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2016 notable
The 10th Tokyo Marathon opened the 2016 World Marathon Majors season on February 28 and doubled as an Olympic selection race for Rio. The defining run came from Helah Kiprop, who surged clear past 25km and crossed in 2:21:27, a women's course record that shaved almost a minute off Tirfi Tsegaye's 2:22:23. Amane Gobena chased her home in 2:21:51, also inside the old mark. In the men's race Feyisa Lilesa broke away from defending champion Dickson Chumba inside the final kilometre to win in 2:06:56, his first marathon victory in years, telling reporters he had bought a ticket to Rio. The lottery drew 308,810 marathon applicants for 27,370 places.
Year over year
Applications over time
Applications · 2014 → 2025
302K305K309K321K320K330K300K
'14'15'16'17'18'19'25
FAQ
Questions about the 2016 ballot
What were the Tokyo 2016 ballot odds?
The general lottery drew 308,810 marathon applicants for 27,370 places, an acceptance rate near 8.9 percent, roughly a one in eleven draw.
When did the 2016 Tokyo lottery window run?
General entry opened on 1 August 2015, with the applicant count published as of 31 August 2015. Lottery results were notified in September 2015.
Who won Tokyo 2016?
Feyisa Lilesa (ETH) won the men's race in 2:06:56 and Helah Kiprop (KEN) the women's in 2:21:27, a women's course record.
What was the 2016 Tokyo finisher count?
36,173 marathon runners started and 34,697 finished on 28 February 2016, a 95.9 percent completion rate.
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