The held in Otsu, Shiga

Otsu, Shiga

is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...

, is one of the prominent Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

ese marathon

Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

 races of the year. It is a male only competition and has IAAF Gold Label status. First held in 1946 and having taken place every year since then, it is Japan's oldest annual marathon race. The early editions of the race were held in Osaka

Osaka

is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...

 until a switch to Tokyo

Tokyo

, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...

 occurred for the 1963–65 marathons, and all subsequent races thereafter were held in Ōtsu

Otsu, Shiga

is the capital city of Shiga, Japan. The city was founded on October 1, 1898. As of October 1, 2010, the city has an estimated population of 338,629 with an average age of 40.7 years and a population density of 905.28 persons per km²...

, near Lake Biwa

Lake Biwa

is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located in Shiga Prefecture , northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Because of its proximity to the ancient capital, references to Lake Biwa appear frequently in Japanese literature, particularly in poetry and in historical accounts of battles.-...

, where the race gets its name. It is sponsored by Mainichi and was known simply as the Mainichi Marathon for a period.

The race begins and ends at the Ojiyama Stadium. The Lake Biwa Marathon has been selected as the Japanese national marathon championships on dozens of occasions, starting in 1960. The current course record for the competition is 2:06:13 hours, set by Wilson Kipsang at the 2011 edition.

Winners

Key:

Edition	Date	Winner	Time
	6 March 2011		2:06:13
	7 March 2010		2:09:34
	1 March 2009		2:10:22
	2 March 2008		2:08:23
	4 March 2007		2:10:43
	5 March 2006		2:09:15
	6 March 2005		2:09:00
	7 March 2004		2:07:42
	2 March 2003		2:07:39
	3 March 2002		2:08:35
	4 March 2001		2:07:34
	5 March 2000		2:08:14
	7 March 1999		2:08:50
	1 March 1998		2:08:43
	2 March 1997		2:08:05
	3 March 1996		2:09:32
	19 March 1995		2:10:49
	6 March 1994		2:11:05
	14 March 1993		2:11:01
	15 March 1992		2:13:15
	10 March 1991		2:11:34
	11 March 1990		2:13:03
	12 March 1989		2:14:31
	13 March 1988		2:12:41
	8 March 1987		2:11:08
	9 March 1986		2:14:55
	10 March 1985		2:11:04
	11 March 1984		2:14:24
	13 March 1983		2:13:22
	14 March 1982		2:15:23
	15 March 1981		2:14:38
	23 March 1980		2:14:33
	15 April 1979		2:13:26
	23 April 1978		2:15:15
	17 April 1977		2:14:08
	18 April 1976		2:15:22
	20 April 1975		2:12:40
	21 April 1974		2:13:24
	18 March 1973		2:12:03
	19 March 1972		2:20:24
	21 March 1971		2:16:45.4
	12 April 1970		2:13:46
	11 May 1969		2:22:44
	14 April 1968		2:13:49
	14 May 1967		2:25:53
	5 June 1966		2:26:01.6
	9 May 1965		2:22:55.8
	12 April 1964		2:17:11.4
	12 May 1963		2:20:24.8
	13 May 1962		2:27:37
	25 June 1961		2:29:27
	15 May 1960		2:34:57
	10 May 1959		2:30:06
	11 May 1958		2:25:51
	3 May 1957		2:31:20
	6 May 1956		2:27:45
	8 May 1955		2:26:32
	16 May 1954		2:27:56
	10 May 1953		2:41:28
	4 May 1952		2:29:54.4
	6 May 1951		2:32:41
	7 May 1950		2:37:25
	4 May 1949		2:40:32
	9 May 1948		2:40:05
	18 May 1947		2:43:17
	10 February 1946		2:44:57

Winners by country

Country	Total wins
	43
	6
	4
	3
	2
	2
	2
	1
	1
	1
	1

Multiple winners

Athlete	Country	Wins	Years
Akio Usami		5	1968, 1972, 1974–76
Shinzō Koga		3	1946–1948
Kurao Hiroshima Kurao Hiroshima was a Japanese long-distance runner who specialised in the marathon. Born in Kitago, Higashiusuki District, Miyazaki, he went on to represent his country twice at the Olympic Games: he finished 33rd in the marathon at the 1956 Summer Olympics and returned for the same event four years later at the...		3	1955, 1957, 1959
Martín Fiz Martín Fiz Martín Fiz Martín is a former long-distance runner from Spain, who won the marathon at the 1994 European Championships in Athletics in Helsinki and repeated his success at the 1995 World Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg...		3	1997, 1999, 2000
Kenji Kimihara Kenji Kimihara is a former Japanese long-distance runner. He won the silver medal in the men's marathon at the 1968 Summer Olympics held in Mexico City, Mexico. Four years later he finished in fifth place in the same event...		2	1963, 1964
Yoshiro Mifune		2	1966, 1967
Fumiaki Abe		2	1985, 1987
Mike O'Reilly		2	1992, 1993
José Ríos José Ríos José Ríos Ortega is a Spanish runner. He specializes in the 10,000 metres and marathon.He won the Lake Biwa Marathon in 2006.-Achievements:-Personal bests:*3000 metres - 7:42.08 min...		2	2004, 2006

External links

• Official website
• Marathoninfo - Lake Biwa Marathon