Three years in the past, Cam Levins put Canadian males’s marathoning on the map with a fifth-place end on the Tokyo Marathon, operating a nationwide report of two:05:36. His efficiency marked an enormous enchancment over his earlier greatest of two:07:09 and made Levins the primary Canadian man to interrupt each the two:07 and a couple of:06 obstacles within the marathon.
This weekend, Levins returns to the race the place he achieved that breakthrough, aiming to decrease his private greatest as soon as once more.
The return to Tokyo
Levins mentioned the choice to return to Tokyo was a straightforward one.
“It’s a course I do know properly, and it appeared to work properly final time,” Levins instructed Canadian Working. “I’ve actually been pleased with my coaching block, so I’d like to run a private greatest.”
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 greatest in a deep elite area led by defending champion Tadese Takele and former Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega. Levins says the depth of the sphere is likely one of the race’s greatest benefits. “In contrast to many different races, there are lots of totally different pacing teams in Tokyo, so that you’ll not often end up in no man’s land,” he mentioned.
The Tokyo Marathon is extensively identified for assembling one of many deepest elite fields among the many seven marathon majors. Final 12 months, 26 males completed below 2:10, with the highest 10 all breaking 2:06. To match to Boston or London, a sub-2:10 end result would’ve positioned the identical runner throughout the prime 15.
New beginnings
Loads has modified in Levins’s life since his record-setting run in 2023. He has since turn out to be a father, and says that shift has reshaped his coaching routine.
“Once I’m with my son, I don’t wish to do the rest,” Levins mentioned with amusing. “My schedule has turn out to be extra inflexible. I’m doing the identical factor, on the identical time, each week. I’m the stay-at-home dad, and he’s my coaching accomplice after I’m on the treadmill. It’s a serious 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 identified for. He mentioned 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 deal with velocity.
“Getting out-kicked by Rory final 12 months in Edmonton made me change the best way I used to be coaching,” Levins mentioned. “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 quicker than 10K.”
Levins says he’s additionally integrated extra power coaching than at every other level in his profession, one thing he believes might assist him shut stronger over the ultimate kilometres of the marathon. Nonetheless, he says the race will in the end come right down to how he feels coming by 21.1.
How you can watch
The 2026 Tokyo Marathon can 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 Working on X or Instagram for dwell updates and information.