Squaring the Circle — The Unorthodox Rise of Japan’s New Marathon Star

The front cover of the Sports Graphic Number pull-out featuring Kana Kobayashi

Kana Kobayashi delivered a supercharged performance in the women's marathon at the 2025 Tokyo World Championships, crossing the line in 7th place as the top Japanese finisher, the nation's first women's top-eight in six years.

It was a gritty, compelling run. Battling visible discomfort, she clawed her way up from 11th over the final kilometers, lifted by the roar of the roadside crowds. Her surge into the top eight gave the championships one of its signature moments, sparking national pride and attention.

Yet before this race, Kana was a relative unknown. So I set out to dig into her story: what path led to such a performance? And why was the Japanese media so fixated on her unlikely journey "from a circle to the world stage"?

Squaring the Circle

Japanese media loves a tagline, and athletes often get branded with one during big events. Throughout Kana’s marathon in Tokyo, one phrase kept flashing on screen: サークルから世界の舞台へ — “From a circle to the world stage.” At first glance, it sounds cryptic. What does “circle” mean, and why is it significant?

She belonged to the 早稲田ホノルルマラソン完走会 (Waseda Honolulu Marathon Completion Club), a group originally built around students training to finish the Honolulu Marathon.

In Japan, a “circle” refers to a casual, recreational university club, usually looser and more social than the official athletic teams, often centered as much on camaraderie (and sometimes drinking) as on training. Unlike most professional athletes, who come through the rigid structures of formal university track teams with their strict practice schedules, Kana honed her craft in a circle.

And not just any circle: she belonged to the 早稲田ホノルルマラソン完走会 (Waseda Honolulu Marathon Completion Club), a group originally built around students training to finish the Honolulu Marathon. That she could rise from such a background to finish 7th at the World Championships is really quite something.

The leap to pro

What makes Kana’s story even more unusual is that after graduating in 2021, she managed to join the Otsuka Pharmaceutical professional corporate team. That in itself is rare. Most athletes move directly from powerhouse high school or university track programs into the corporate system, so I tried to connect the dots as to how she achieved it.

One interview noted that during her time at Waseda, she logged 500–600 kilometers a month, essentially elite-level mileage.

While the “circle” angle makes a great headline, it would be wrong to think she was just casually jogging a few times a week. One interview noted that during her time at Waseda she was logging 500–600 kilometers a month, essentially elite-level mileage.

And although she was not part of the university’s formal track team, it is worth remembering that Waseda is one of the legacy institutions of the Hakone Ekiden. Hakone might be all about the men, but there was always a strong culture of serious running around her.

Her performances as a university runner also can’t be overlooked. In the broadcast montage before the women’s marathon at Tokyo 25, highlights included her surprise victory in a 100K ultramarathon. More significantly, it pointed to her impressive run at the Osaka International Women’s Marathon in January 2024, just before graduation, which caught the eye of corporate scouts and led to an offer from Otsuka Pharmaceutical.

Her true breakthrough, though, came a year later in January 2025, when she ran a fearless 2:21:19 for second place in the same Osaka race. The time alone doesn’t tell the full story. Kana surged from behind to claim the runner-up spot and finish as the top Japanese, powered by a relentless final 10K, a tactic she would repeat in Tokyo. This performance effectively punched her ticket to the national team.

Built for purpose

Kana’s running style is distinctive. She runs with a very high turnover, her short strides almost a blur compared to the long, loping rhythm of her rivals on the world stage. At first glance it looks unsustainable, but she somehow manages to hold it together deep into the marathon. (This compact stride length is often seen among Japanese women's runners, perhaps reflecting differences in stature. Kana herself stands just 150 cm tall.)

During the broadcast of her runner-up finish at the Osaka International Women’s Marathon, commentators Naoko Takahashi and Yuko Arimori pointed out her powerful, muscular legs, noting that it was not the kind of physique you usually see in a 23-year-old. It suggested a body shaped with purpose, whether by nature or by the intensity of her training, for the specific demands of marathon running.

Refreshingly frank

It wasn't just her racing at Tokyo 25 that struck a chord with fans across Japan. She gave a hugely emotional post-race interview, which was refreshingly frank and a welcome break from the usual media-scripted answers.

She admitted, “I didn’t really care what happened in the race after that, I was just pleased the camp was finished."

She broke down in tears as she described how brutal the final training camp had been. She admitted, “I didn’t really care what happened in the race after that, I was just pleased the camp was finished.” But as the race approached, it seemed the flood of messages of support she received began to change her perspective.

She spoke of knowing the Tokyo course better than anyone in the field, and with that came a sense of responsibility: she had to give everything. She stated that her goal was a top-eight finish, and that belief carried her through the punishing final kilometers.

A star is born

Kana Kobayashi was one of the standout performers of the championships for me, and her unorthodox story and refreshing honesty make me want to follow her journey even more closely. I never did discover if she actually ran the Honolulu Marathon, after all, that was the original point of her circle, but I’ll be watching with interest to see what happens next.

Go Kana.