2022 MARATHON YEAR

Toni Reavis

Jan 1

We begin, as always, wishing everyone the Best New Year possible, one full of health, hope, satisfaction, and caring, for ourselves and others less fortunate.

Now, with the conclusion of the Adnoc Abu Dhabi Marathon on December 17th and the Taipei Marathon a day later, the top end of 2022 Marathon season came to a close.

As in past years, I decided to do a deep numeric dive into the marathon year just passed, using 2:10 as the men's standard of excellence.

Then, after World Athletics released the automatic qualifying standards for the 2024 Paris Olympics, suddenly, I had to reconfigure not only my list, but my headspace as to what constituted excellence on foot over 26.2 miles.

2022 - Total sub-2:08:10s - 204

Kenya - 76 (37.25%)
Ethiopia - 67 (32.8%)
Japan - 16 ( 7.8%)
Eritrea - 7 (3.4%)
USA - 0

MORE TRADITIONAL SUB-2:10 ROUND UP

2022 - Total sub-2:10s – 395

(25.7% more than 2019, the previous high-water mark)

Kenya - 136 (34.4%)

Ethiopia- 99 (25%)

Japan - 61 (15.4%)

USA - 7 (1.7%)

TOP time: 2:01:09 WR - Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) - Berlin

Top non-E. African: 2:04:51 - Daniel DO NASCIMENTO (BRA) - 3rd, Seoul

2021 Total – 249 (Covid reduced)
Kenya – 93 (37.3%)
Ethiopia – 55 (22%)
Japan – 48 (19.3%)
USA – 1 (Galen Rupp, 2:06:35 – 2nd, Chicago)
TOP time – 2:02:57 – Titus Ekiru (KEN) – Milan, 16 May
Top non-East African born time: 2:04:56 – Kengo Suzuki (JPN) – 1st, Lake Biwa – #24 on world list

2020 Total – 163 (COVID-19)
Ethiopia – 54 (33%)
Japan – 34 (20.8%)
Kenya – 29 (17.7%)
USA – 8 (Martin Hehir – 2:08:59, Mara. Project, Chandler, AZ)
Top time: 2:03:00 – Evans Chebet (KEN) – Valencia, ESP
Top non-East African born time: 2:05:29 – Suguru Osako (JPN) – 4th, Tokyo – #14 on world list

2019 Total - 293
Kenya -123 (42%)
Ethiopia – 98 (33.4%)
Japan – 16 (5.4%)
USA – 3 (Leonard Korir, 2:07:56 – 11th, Amsterdam; Scott Fauble, 2:09:09- 7th, Boston; Jared Ward, 2:09:25 – 8th, Boston)
TOP Time: 2:01:41 – Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) – Berlin
Top non-East African born time: 2:06:16 – Sondre Moen (NOR) – 7th, Valencia – #52 on world list

2018 Total – 215
Kenya – 97 (45%)
Ethiopia–67 (31%)
USA – 2 (Rupp twice, 2:06:07 – 1st, Prague; 2:06:21 – 5th, Chicago)
TOP time – 2:01:39 WR – Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) – Berlin
Top non-East African born time: 2:05:26 – El Mahjoub Dazza (MAR) – 6th, Valencia – #23 on world list

2017 Total – 186
Kenya – 113 (60.75%)
Ethiopia – 41 (22%)
USA – 2 (Galen Rupp, 2:09:20, 1st in Chicago; Rupp, 2:09:58 – 2nd, Boston)
TOP time – 2:03:32 – Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) – Berlin
Top non-East African born time: 2:05:48 – Sondre Moen (NOR) – 1st, Fukuoka – #12 on world list

2016 Total – 150 (First year new stacked sole shoes were introduced, though only to select few)
Kenya – 98 (65.3%)
Ethiopia – 39 (26%)
USA – 0 (Galen Rupp, 2:10:05, 3rd, Rio Olympics)
TOP time – 2:03:03 – Keninisa Bekele (ETH) – Berlin
Top non-East African time: 2:09:01 – Yuki Kawauchi (JPN) – 2nd, Gold Coast – #98 on world list

2015 Total – 172
Kenya – 97 (56.4%)
Ethiopia – 57 (33.13%)
USA – 0 (Luke Puskedra, 2:10:24, 5th in Chicago)
TOP time: 2:04:00 – Eliud Kipchoge (KEN) – Berlin
Top non-East African born time: 2:07:39 – Masato Imai (JPN) – 7th, Tokyo – #48 on world list

2014 Total – 180
Kenyan – 106 (58.8%)
Ethiopian – 57 (31.6%)
USA – 1 (Meb Keflezighi, 2:08:37, 1st in Boston)
TOP time – 2:02:57 – Dennis Kimetto (KEN) – Berlin
Top non-East African born time: 2:08:09 – Kohei Matsumura (JPN) – 8th, Tokyo – #86 on world list

2013 Total – 189
Kenya – 99 (52.4%)
Ethiopia- 61 (32.2%)
USA – 1 (Dathan Ritzenhein, 2:09:45, 5th in Chicago)
TOP time – 2:03:23 – Wilson Kipsang (KEN) – Berlin
Top non-East African born time: 2:07:55 – Mustapha El Aziz (MAR) – 3rd, Seoul – #58 on world list

2012 Total – 220
Kenya – 120 (54.5%)
Ethiopia – 64 (29%)
USA – 5 (Dathan Ritzenhein (twice), 2:07:47, 9th in Chicago, also Ryan Hall, Meb Keflezighi, Abdi Abdirahman)
TOP time- 2:04:15 – Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) – Berlin
Top non-East African born time: 2:07:30 – Patrick Tambwe (FRA) – 1st, See Genezareth – #60 world list

2011 Total – 182
Kenya – 110 (61%)
Ethiopia – 42 (22%)
USA – 3 (Ryan Hall – 2:04:58, 4th in Boston; 2:08:04, 5th, Chicago; also Meb, 2:09:13 – 6th, NYC)
TOP time – 2:03:02 – Geoffrey Mutai (KEN) – Boston
Top non-East African born time: 2:04:58 – Ryan Hall (USA) – 4th, Boston – #7 on world list

2010 Total – 144
Kenya – 79 (54.86%)
Ethiopia – 47 (32.6%)
USA – 2 (Ryan Hall, 2:08:41 – 4th, Boston; Meb Keflezighi, 2:09:26 – 5th, Boston)
TOP time – 2:04:48, Patrick Makau (KEN) – Rotterdam
Top non-East African born time: 2:06:55 – Jaouad Gharib (MAR) – 3rd, London – #23 on world list

SUB-2:10s

No. Year Kenya %

144 - 2010. 54.86%

182 - 2011. 61%

220 - 2012. 54.5%

189 - 2013. 52.4%

180 - 2014. 58.8%

172 - 2015. 56.4%

150 - 2016. 65.3%

186 - 2017. 60.75%

215 - 2018. 45%

293 - 2019. 42%

163 - 2020. 17.7%

249 - 2021 37.3%

394 - 2022. 34.3%

KENYA seems to be losing altitude as the world's undisputed #1. But how much of that diminution involves immigration? How about Covid-19? How about PEDs?

How about 2023? Wait and see. Best to all.

END

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