Benson Kipruto of Kenya and Ethiopia's Sutume Asefa Kebede won the men's and women's Tokyo Marathon in course record times on Sunday while star runners Eliud Kipchoge and Sifan Hassan missed the podium.
The 2021 Boston and 2022 Chgicago winner Kipruto won the men's race in 2 hours 2 minutes 16 seconds. He improved his personal best by almost two minutes as he led a Kenyan podium sweep from Timothy Kiplagat and Vincent Kipkemoi Ngetich.
Former world record holder and 2022 Tokyo winner Kipchoge started to fade halfway through the 42.195 kilometres and had to be content with 10th place, 4:34 minutes behind the winner.
It was a rare defeat for the 39-year-old Kenyan great who in summer plans to aim for an unprecedented third straight Olympic gold at the Paris Games.
Kebede raised her personal best by more than two minutes as she topped the women's race in 2:15:55 hours for her biggest career success. Last year's winner Rosemary Wanjiru of Kenya came second and Ethiopian world champion Amane Beriso was third.
Dutch star Hassan, a twice world and Olympic champion on the track and London and Chicago Marathon winner last year, was dropped by the three top finishers halfway shortly before the 30km mark but held on to finish fourth with a deficit of 2:10 minutes.
The Tokyo race is part of the six top level Marathon Majors, the others being Berlin, Boston, Chicago, London, New York.