37-year-old Masaki surprised many by winning the men's 42km race at the VnExpress Marathon Can Tho 2025. Unlike his compatriot Kento Kabashima, runner-up at the 2024 Hai Phong VM, Masaki was relatively unknown in the Vietnamese running community before the race.

Masaki began running marathons in 2017. His personal best is 2 hours 23 minutes and 8 seconds at the Hofu Marathon (Japan) in 12/2021. In 7/2025, he finished the Pattaya Marathon in Thailand with a time of 2 hours 38 minutes and 43 seconds. Despite Can Tho's challenging conditions, with over 90% humidity and a course crossing 14 bridges, Masaki took an early lead and finished in 2 hours 37 minutes and 31 seconds. His victory made him a standout at the Can Tho VM, demonstrating the resilience and adaptability of Japanese runners in the Mekong Delta's climate.

Hai Long