125 Elite Athletes Feel Speed And Find Confidence In New ASICS METASPEED™ Series
[3 May 2025 – Tokyo, Japan] – ASICS is today sharing the record-breaking race results from the Tokyo : Speed : Race, where 125 elite athletes took to the streets of Tokyo to push their speed limits in the new METASPEED™ Tokyo Series.
An incredible three Area Records, 10 National Records and 48 Personal Bests were recorded in the World Athletics certified Tokyo : Speed : Race in the heart of Tokyo.
Five National Records were broken in the 5km race. Nadia Battocletti, Italy, set a European Record and an Italian National Record with a time of 14:32. In the 10km Race, five National Records were broken, including an Australian double, with Isobel Batt-Doyle finishing with a time of 30:44 to also clinch a new Area Record and Sam Clifford finishing in 27:34. Simbassa Abbabiya, US, completed the 10km in 27:32 securing a new American Record while Mekdes Woldu set a new French Record with a time of 31:01 in the 10km race.
Caroline Nyaga, Kenya, was the fastest woman in the 5km race with a time of 14:19, beating her current Personal Best, while Harbert Kibet, Uganda, won with a time of 13:00. Joy Cheptoyek, Uganda, took first place in the women’s 10km with a time of 30:22 and Jemal Yimer, Ethiopia, took first place in the men’s race with a time of 27:10.
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 was an exciting event 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.”
Full event results can be found attached with top 5 times below.
To see a full recap of ASICS’ elite race, re-watch the live stream asics.tv/tokyo or via https://www.youtube.com/@WorldAthletics.
Men’s 10km
Jemal Yimer | Ethiopia | 27:10 |
Victor Kipruto | Kenya | 27:11 |
Vincent Kibet Langat | Kenya | 27:11 |
Amos Langat | Kenya | 27:25 |
Abbabiya Simbassa | United States | 27:32 (AR/NR/PB) |
Women’s 10km
Joy Cheptoyek | Uganda | 30:22 |
Samiyah Hassan Nour | Djibouti | 30:40 (NR/PB) |
Isobel Batt – Doyle | Australia | 30:44 (NR/PB) |
Rebecca Chelangat | Uganda | 30:59 |
Emma Grace Hurley | United States | 31:00 |
Men’s 5km
Harbert Kibet | Uganda | 13:00 |
Ismail Mohamed | Djibouti | 13:10 (NR/PB) |
Samwel Nyamai Mailu | Kenya | 13:11 (PB) |
Maxime Chaumeton | South Africa | 13:13 (NR/PB) |
Brian Kipyegon | Kenya | 13:17 |
Women’s 5km
Caroline Nyaga | Kenya | 14:19 (PB) |
Nadia Battocletti | Italy | 14:32 (AR/NR /PB) |
Maurine Jepkoech | Kenya | 14:40 (PB) |
Birtukan Molla | Ethiopia | 14:49 |
Nancy Cherop | Kenya | 14:52 |
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
ABOUT THE Tokyo : Speed : Race
On Saturday, May 3, ASICS brought the streets of Tokyo to life with Tokyo : Speed : Race, a unique speed event held on a flat, fast course beside the Japan National Stadium, future home of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25. In partnership with World Athletics, the event gathered approximately 125 elite athletes chasing records in the 5K and 10K, alongside 2,750 amateur runners striving for personal bests across the 5K, half marathon relay, and more. With additional events including a 1K family run, children’s challenge, and a Deaflympics-led experience, the day celebrated the power of running to unite and uplift. The course’s one-kilometer loop and finish line in front of the Meiji Memorial Museum provided a striking backdrop to this one-of-a-kind race.