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OTSU, Japan (AP) Lucas Rotich of Kenya edged Japan's Hisanori Kitajima by just five seconds to win the Lake Biwa Marathon on Sunday.
Rotich took over the lead at to the 30-kilometer (19-mile) mark and clocked a time of 2 hours, 9 minutes, 11 seconds.
Kitajima took second in a tight finish, just eight seconds ahead of third-placed Alphonce Felix Simbu of Tanzania.
The IAAF Gold Label race was the final qualifying opportunity for Japanese runners aiming to make the Rio Olympic team.
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Henryk Szost of Poland, who finished second to Samuel Ndungu in the 2012 Lake Biwa event, retired midway through Sunday's race.
Ethiopia's Shura Kitata led for much of the race but faded over the second half in unseasonably warm temperatures.
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