NYRR Media Center
Sho Watanabe
Quickly after taking up wheelchair racing in 2011—after a car accident left him with a spinal-cord injury—Sho Watanabe made a name for himself on the world stage. In 2017, he defeated Paralympic champion Marcel Hug in a sprint finish at the Tokyo Marathon, winning in 1:28:01. Watanabe’s surprise victory ended Hug’s pursuit of a sweep in all eight events of the inaugural Abbott World Marathon Majors wheelchair series. Watanabe then went on to lower his personal-best time to 1:26:22 in Seoul, and then he finished third in his TCS New York City Marathon debut later that year.
Since then, he has gone on to finish second at the 2020 Tokyo Marathon and third at the 2023 Tokyo Marathon.
Watanabe has competed at four World Para Athletics Championships dating back to 2013, having won a gold medal in the 4x400-meter relay at the 2017 edition of the event.
- Date of Birth Nov 23, 1991
- Age 33
- Gender Man
- Country Japan
- Residence Fukuoka, Japan
Career Highlights
| Year | Event | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Tokyo Marathon | 3rd | 1:30:32 |
| 2020 | Tokyo Marathon | 2nd | 1:30:00 |
| 2017 | TCS New York City Marathon | 3rd | 1:39:51 |
| 2017 | Tokyo Marathon | 1st | 1:28:01 |
| 2013 | World Para Athletics Championships 10,000m | 2nd | 23:05.24 |