Running News Daily

The Osaka Marathon, held February 22, 2026, in Osaka, Japan, produced one of the most significant American marathon performances of the year. While the race featured a deep international field and fast times at the front, the biggest story for U.S. distance running came from former BYU athlete Ethan Shuley.

Shuley ran 2:07:14, a performance that now ranks as the seventh-fastest marathon ever by an American on a record-eligible course 

Just two years ago, Shuley’s personal best stood at 2:20:53, making his rise particularly striking. During the 2025 season he began to show major progress, running 2:18:13 for fifth place at the Nagano Marathon in April before finishing second at the Kobe Marathon in November with 2:11:30. In Osaka he took another massive step forward, slicing more than four minutes off that mark.

Shuley’s path to elite running is far from traditional. The American is currently based in Shinjuku, Tokyo, where he studies film while continuing to train and compete. He shares much of his training and life in Japan on his YouTube channel, offering a rare look into the life of a developing international marathoner. 

His coaching situation is equally unconventional. Shuley works remotely—sometimes even communicating through Instagram—with coach Isaac Wood.

The Osaka Marathon has built a reputation as one of Asia’s premier road races, known for producing fast times and attracting strong international competition. The 2026 edition continued that tradition, with elite runners battling through cool conditions on a course that winds through the heart of the city.

While international athletes claimed the overall titles, Shuley’s performance stood out as one of the most important American results of the year and immediately placed him among the country’s top marathoners.

Fastest American Marathons

(Record-Eligible Courses) Because the Boston Marathon is a point-to-point course with significant net downhill, performances there are not eligible for records. The following marks were run on courses that meet international record standards.

1. Conner Mantz – 2:04:43 (Chicago 2025)

2. Khalid Khannouchi – 2:05:38 (London 2002)

3. Zouhair Talbi – 2:05:45 (Houston 2026)

4. Galen Rupp – 2:06:07 (Prague 2018)

5. Ryan Hall – 2:06:17 (London 2008)

6. Biya Simbassa – 2:06:53 (Valencia 2024)

7. Ethan Shuley – 2:07:14 (Osaka 2026)

Breaking into this list is no small achievement. It places Shuley alongside some of the most accomplished runners in U.S. marathon history.

For now, Osaka may be remembered as the race where a new American contender officially arrived. If Shuley’s trajectory continues, this performance could be only the beginning.