Japan’s Ichitaka Yamashita secured the men’s marathon gold medal at the Asian Games on Sunday, delivering a strategic and commanding performance in rainy conditions in Nagoya. The Nagasaki native claimed Japan’s seventh men’s marathon title in the event’s history, finishing with a time of 2:10:49.48 at the Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium.

Yamashita remained patient for much of the race, running as part of a six-man lead group established by the halfway point. Among his rivals were North Korea’s Hangzhou silver medalist Han Il-ryong and India’s Sawan Barwal, both of whom took turns setting the pace during the final 10 kilometers. As the two began to lose strength, Yamashita made his decisive move to break away and maintain a clear lead to the finish line. Barwal achieved a personal best to finish second, while China’s Feng Peiyou mounted a late surge to claim the bronze medal, edging past Han Il-ryong.

In post-race comments, Yamashita acknowledged his conservative approach during the early stages, noting he contributed little to leading the pack compared to his competitors from China and India. “I felt a bit apologetic,” he said.

On the women’s side, Bahrain’s Shitaye Eshete captured the marathon gold, completing a remarkable comeback 16 years after earning a 10-kilometer bronze medal at the 2010 Games in Guangzhou. The 36-year-old mother of three faced challenges from Japan’s Mikuni Yada, who contended despite a fall caused by contact with another runner. Eshete held on to win convincingly.

China’s Cuomu Ciren finished narrowly behind Eshete to take the silver medal, while Yada earned the bronze, keeping Japan’s strong showing in the marathon events intact. The results underscore the competitive depth across Asia’s marathon landscape amid challenging weather on race day.