8°
Sunny and cool, a starting temperature near 8 C, light winds under 10 mph that turned breezy late
2017 Ballot results
The datasheet
Tokyo Marathon 2017 ballot: 321,459 applications
On a redesigned 2017 course Wilson Kipsang ran 2:03:58, the fastest marathon ever on Japanese soil, drawn from 321,459 general lottery applications chasing 26,370 marathon places.
Applications
321,459
Ballot acceptance
8.2%
26,370 of 321,459 accepted
Field size
33,974
Total finishers
Results date
Sep 16
2016
Race day
Feb 26
2017
Ballot open
Aug 1
2016
Ballot close
Aug 31
2016
Semi-elite
M2:21 W2:52
Open category (18–34)
Race day weather
What runners faced on the course
Context
What made 2017 notable
Tokyo unveiled a faster course in 2017, moving the hills to the middle so the closing kilometres ran flat toward a new finish at Tokyo Station. The redesign paid off immediately. Wilson Kipsang attacked from the front in sunny, cool conditions near 8 degrees and ran 2:03:58, the fastest marathon ever on Japanese soil, breaking Tsegaye Kebede's 2:05:18 all-comers record by more than a minute. He missed the world record by 61 seconds and blamed a breezy late stretch. Sarah Chepchirchir matched the day with 2:19:47, a women's course record and all-comers record that bettered Mizuki Noguchi's 2:21:18. Behind the elites, 26,370 general lottery places were drawn from 321,459 applications, roughly a 12 to 1 squeeze.
Year over year
Applications over time
Applications · 2014 → 2025
302K305K309K321K320K330K300K
'14'15'16'17'18'19'25
FAQ
Questions about the 2017 ballot
What were the Tokyo 2017 ballot odds?
The general lottery drew 321,459 marathon applications for 26,370 places, about a 12 to 1 ratio, a published acceptance rate near 8.2 percent.
When did the 2017 Tokyo lottery window run?
General entry opened 1 August 2016 and closed at 17:00 JST on 31 August 2016. General lottery results were announced on 16 September 2016.
Who won Tokyo 2017?
Wilson Kipsang (KEN) won the men's race in 2:03:58 and Sarah Chepchirchir (KEN) the women's in 2:19:47, both course records and Japanese all-comers records on the redesigned course.
Why was Tokyo 2017 so fast?
A redesigned 2017 course moved the hills to the middle, leaving a flat finish into Tokyo Station. In cool conditions near 8 degrees Celsius, Kipsang ran 2:03:58, the fastest marathon ever on Japanese soil.
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