Three years in the past, Cam Levin put Canadian males’s marathoning on the map with a fifth-place end on the Tokyo Marathon, working a nationwide document of two:05:36. His efficiency marked a large enchancment over his earlier finest of two:07:09 and made Levins the primary Canadian man to interrupt each the two:07 and a couple of:06 limitations within the marathon.
This weekend, Levins returns to the race the place he achieved that breakthrough, aiming to decrease his private finest as soon as once more.
The return to Tokyo
Levins stated the choice to return to Tokyo was a simple one.
“It’s a course I do know properly, and it appeared to work properly final time,” Levins advised Canadian Operating. “I’ve actually been pleased with my coaching block, so I’d like to run a private finest.”
Now 36, Levins says he has tried to race extra this season than he usually does. In preparation for Tokyo, he ran the third-fastest half-marathon of his profession on the 2026 Houston Half, then adopted it up a month later with a win on the Vancouver First Half in 61:46.
Levins enters Tokyo with the Fifteenth-fastest private finest in a deep elite discipline led by defending champion Tadese Takele and former Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Thanksgiving. Levins says the depth of the sector is without doubt one of the race’s greatest benefits. “Not like many different races, there are loads of totally different pacing teams in Tokyo, so that you’ll not often end up in no man’s land,” he stated.
The Tokyo Marathon is broadly recognized for assembling one of many deepest elite fields among the many seven marathon majors. Final yr, 26 males completed beneath 2:10, with the highest 10 all breaking 2:06. To check to Boston or London, a sub-2:10 outcome would’ve positioned the identical runner throughout the high 15.
New beginnings
Rather a lot has modified in Levins’s life since his record-setting run in 2023. He has since change into a father, and says that shift has reshaped his coaching routine.
“Once I’m with my son, I don’t wish to do anything,” Levins stated with amusing. “My schedule has change into extra inflexible. I’m doing the identical factor, on the similar time, each week. I’m the stay-at-home dad, and he’s my coaching associate after I’m on the treadmill. It’s a significant shift from how I used to be coaching earlier than, however I wouldn’t commerce it for the world.”
Regardless of the adjustments, Levins says he has maintained the high-volume coaching he’s recognized for. He stated he has continued to run greater than 200 kilometres per week, together with triple runs on 4 of these days.
After Levins was outkicked by fellow Canadian marathoner Rory Linkletter on the 2025 Canadian Half Marathon Championships in Edmonton final August, this coaching cycle has additionally included a renewed give attention to pace.
“Getting out-kicked by Rory final yr in Edmonton made me change the best way I used to be coaching,” Levins stated. “Now I’ll attempt to hit just a few full-speed reps on the finish of a exercise through the center of my construct. Earlier than, I actually didn’t contact paces sooner than 10K.”
Levins says he’s additionally included extra power coaching than at some other level in his profession, one thing he believes may assist him shut stronger over the ultimate kilometres of the marathon. Nonetheless, he says the race will finally come right down to how he feels coming by 21.1.
Easy methods to watch
The 2026 Tokyo Marathon will likely be streamed in Canada and the U.S. on FloSports/FloTrack (subscription required), with protection starting at 7:00 p.m. ET on Saturday (Feb. 28).
You can too comply with Canadian Operating on X or Instagram for dwell updates and information.
