Tokyo – Following the record-breaking race results from the “Tokyo Speed Race” presented by ASICS, 125 elite athletes took to the streets of Tokyo to push their speed limits testing the all new METASPEED™ Tokyo Series running shoes.
An incredible three (3) Area Records, ten (10) National Records and 48 Personal Bests were recorded in the World Athletics certified “Tokyo Speed Race” in the heart of Japan’s capital city.
Eduard Flores from the Philippines was superb in his first ever international competition as he clocked an official time of 31:41 in the Men’s 10km category. The weather was perfect for Flores who trained under the unforgiving and humid conditions in the Philippines, so this likely contributed to the spectacular outcome.
Flores had a terrific start with a time of 2:57 in his first 1.3km loop of the competition. For the following loops, he kept a steady pace of 4:08-4:10 per 1.3km, then he capped it off by sprinting all the way to the end with an incredible speed of 2:51 for his final finish.
Initially, Flores’ target was a sub-31 mark as his previous fastest was 31:50, but he easily surpassed that goal.
Meanwhile, Ayn Bernos participated in the 5km run and finished with a personal best of 33:26.
All Personal Bests were achieved by elite athletes wearing ASICS’ latest METASPEED™ Tokyo Series, which includes the METASPEED™ RAY, METASPEED™ SKY TOKYO, and METASPEED™ EDGE TOKYO shoes. In line with the ASICS Design Philosophy, the development process placed great emphasis on understanding how athletes feel and what they truly need.
The result is the METASPEED™ Tokyo Series—pinnacle racing shoes created through a rigorous design and testing process led by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science, with the involvement of numerous third-party testers and more than one hundred elite athletes from around the world.
Since the launch of the original METASPEED™ SKY and METASPEED™ EDGE shoes in 2021, each model has been carefully crafted to support athletes based on their unique running styles and preferences.
The full list of race winners is below:
5km Men – Harbert Kibet, 13:00
5km Women – Caroline Nyaga, 14:19
10km Men – Jemal Yimer, 27:10
10km Women – Joy Cheptoyek, 30:22
Jon Ridgeon, CEO of World Athletics, said: “The Tokyo Speed Race event was an exciting challenge where athletes of all levels came together to push their speed limits. Our ongoing partnership with ASICS has once again created an event that highlights the power of running and the shared commitment to growing the sport. Looking ahead to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25, the momentum from this event will help build even more excitement and anticipation for what’s sure to be a monumental year in Tokyo.”
Olivier Mignon, Director of Sports Marketing at ASICS said: “The Tokyo Speed Race was a true celebration of what speed can unlock—not just in performance, but in confidence. From elite records to personal breakthroughs, the event truly embodied the spirit of ‘Feel Speed, Find Confidence,’ highlighted by the standout performances of so many athletes who broke personal, National and Area records. We are proud of every runner who made this a memorable and uplifting celebration of what running can achieve.”
To see a full recap of ASICS’ elite race, re-watch the live stream asics.tv/tokyo or via https://www.youtube.com/@WorldAthletics
