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Cam Levins was on track to lower his Canadian record halfway through Sunday’s Tokyo Marathon, but fell off the pace late in the 42.2-kilometre race.
He reached the finish on a clear and warm morning in two hours six minutes 49 seconds, three years after setting a 2:05.36 national and then-North American record for a fifth-place finish on the same course.
“I felt good. I made the move up to the faster group a few kilometres [into the race] because there were so many people in the last group,” the Black Creek, B.C., native told Belgium-based Meta Endurance after placing 14th Sunday. “I started tanking the last few kilometres.
“For what the races have been like leading up to this, they’ve been so-so, I’m really happy [with today].”
Levins, 36, did eclipse the Canadian masters record for men 35 and older, shaving nearly four minutes off Reid Coolsaet’s 2:10:28 effort from Sept. 27, 2015 in Berlin.
Levins lost the North American record to American Conner Mantz, who went 2:04:43 in last year’s Chicago Marathon.
Tadese Takele of Ethiopia successfully defended his title on Sunday, edging Kenya’s Geoffrey Toroitich in a sprint finish and reached the line in 2:03:37.
Brigid Kosgei of Kenya won the women’s race in 2:14:29, lowering the 2:15:55 course record from two years ago by two-time defending Tokyo champion Sutume Kebede of Ethiopia, who was fourth on Sunday (2:17:39).
Levins was coming off a 1:01:46 winning effort at the Vancouver First Half Marathon on Feb. 8. Three years ago, he also won the race in 1:00:18 in a light rain.
The three-time Olympian opened his 2026 road racing season in Houston, where he was 18th in the half marathon in 1:00:58, third fastest of his career, and lost his Canadian mark to Rory Linkletter.
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