Ukraine's Serhiy Lebid showed on Sunday how adjusting to the marathon has taken him only six months to reach the top of the podium.
The King of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships is now a winner on the roads after a superb victory over 26.2 miles in Nagano.
Lebid, 38, achieved his first big marathon win with this success in Japan where he triumphed in 2:13:56 from Ser-Od Bat-Ochir, of Mongolia, who was second in 2:14:04, with Japan's Taiga Ito third in 2:15:20.
It was a good event for Europe as the women's race was won by Russia's Alina Prokopyeva in a personal best of 2:30:56 as she beat Japanese pair Rika Shintaku, second in 2:36:02, and Shoko Shimizu, third in 2:37:21.
After winning in Ferrara in 1998, Lebid established himself as the greatest runner in the history of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships by winning the title eight times more times.
He made the transition to the marathon in October when he was second on his debut in Lisbon in 2:11:24, and though slower this time, it is the 'winning effect' which could play a big part in his build up if he now decides to run the event at the European Athletics Championships in Zurich in August.
Staying on the roads this weekend, national half marathon titles were decided in both the Czech Republic and Finland.
In Pardubice on Saturday, Jan Kreisinger took the Czech crown when he finished seventh in 1:07:50 as Kenyan Joel Mwangi won in 1:04:24, while Petra Pastorova was second in the women's race in 1:18:31, just over a minute behind Kenyan Gladys Biwott in 1:17:13.
Jussi Utriainen, in 1:06:47 and Hana Jantunen, in 1:06:42, took the Finnish titles in Heinola.
Over the BAA Mile in Boston, Ireland's Paul Robinson was second in 4:12.0 as New Zealander Nick Willis, the 2008 Olympic 1500m silver medallist, won in 4:11.3 with Great Britain's Chris O´Hare fourth 4:13.6.
There were some eye-catching track performances too at this early stage of the outdoor season, particularly in Kranj where Marusa Mismas achieved a fine success at the 10,000m track championships as she showed what a talented youngster she is.
Mismas, who won silver in the 3000m steeplechase at last year's European Junior Championships in Rieti, broke the Slovenian national under-23 record as she won the 10,000m in 35:10.26.
Rieti was also the stage where Stella Akakpo, of France, made a name for herself when she won the 100m and in Gainesville on Saturday, she was triumphant again at the Tom Jones Memorial Classic with victory in 11.44.
But there was disappointing news for her French teammate Jimmy Vicaut.
He had a glorious 2013 by breaking 10 seconds but at the International meet at Reunion Island in the Indian ocean, he had to stop after 20 metres of the sprint, suffering with a hamstring injury in his left leg.
In Sopot last month, Pascal Martinot-Lagarde won 60m hurdles silver for France at the IAAF World Indoor Championships and that form has been transferred to the 110m hurdles where, at Reunion, he was first in 13.67 - beating his brother Thomas Martinot-Lagarde who was second in 13.98.
Melina Robert-Michon, the discus world silver mealiest, won the event with 60.96m while other good French performances saw Salim Sdiri leap to 7.84 in the long jump, Stephane Yato run 50.26 for the 400m hurdles and Cindy Billaud take the 100m hurdles in 13.20.
Myriam Soumare, the European 200m champion in 2010, won over that distance in 23.53 along with the long jump at 6.04m and was second in the 400m in a personal best of 52.83 as Marie Gayot triumphed in 52.69.
THE WEEK AHEAD
TUESDAY - Banja Luka Road Race.
WEDNESDAY - THURSDAY - Nizamutdinov Prizes (Adler).
THURSDAY- SATURDAY - International Throwing Competitions Y. Shukevicha Prizes (Brest).
SATURDAY- Nikola Valchanov Meeting (Gabrovo), Grand Prix Throwings (Onesti), International Meeting A.Mikenas Memorial (Birstonas), Malta International Track and Field Meeting (Marsa), Opening of new season 2014 (Skopje).
SUNDAY - Balkan Marathon Championships (Belgrade), DVV Antwerp Marathon, Enschede Marathon, Junior Meeting (Drianovo), Rijeka Half Marathon, Rock 'n' Roll Marathon (Madrid), Throwing Meeting 'Zlatna Dobrudzha' (Dobrbich),TUI Marathon Hannover.
MONDAY - Metro Group Marathon (Dusseldorf).