Osaka International Women's Marathon Elite Field

The Osaka International Women's Marathon jumps into the World Athletics platinum label pool Jan. 29 with its 42nd edition. A-group pacing it set to go at 3:19~20/km, 2:19:57 to 2:20:39 pace, with organizers opting to switch back to female pacers after two years with men. They've pulled in a trio of recent 2:20-level women, Kenyan Maurine Chepkemoi and Ethiopians Haven Hailu Desse and Sisay Meseret Gola, to try to max out the chances that the top Japanese women will be able to ride that in to something close to sub-2:20, and have tweaked the course a bit to do the same.

Yuka Ando (Wacoal) is the only Japanese woman in the race to have gone sub-2:22 in her career, but in terms of times in the last three years she's one of three coming in with a 2:22, alongside last year's runner-up Mao Uesugi (Starts) and Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku). Tokyo Olympian Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) is in the mix too with a 2:23:30 in Osaka two years ago and some good half marathons last year, if she can make it to the starting line.

Interesting debuts include sub-70 half marathoner Sakiho Tsutsui (Yamada Holdings), steepler Yumi Yoshikawa (Uniqlo), Yuna Daito (Tenmaya), and the long-awaited first stab from 2009 World University Games 10000 m gold medalist Kasumi Nishihara (Sysmex). Hidden away deep in the field without a recent qualifying time but given special permission from the JAAF to run is collegiate record holder Sairi Maeda (Daihatsu), running her first marathon since 2019. 60+ world record holder Mariko Yugeta (Saitama T&F Assoc.) is also back for the race where she ran her 2:52:13 WR two years ago.

Things are starting to count down toward the qualification deadline for the MGC Race, Japan's Paris Olympics marathon trials next October. Sato, Ando and Uesugi have all already qualified and can just focus on time. Likewise for mid-fielders Haruka Yamaguchi (AC Kita) and Reia Iwade (Denso). The main question will be whether Honami Maeda, winner of the last MGC Race, can finally get a qualifying mark in. To do that, she and others will need to finish in the first three Japanese places and sub-2:28, in the next three Japanese places and sub-2:27, or any domestic place beyond that and sub-2:24. Chiharu Ikeda (Hitachi) has the lowest bar to make the cut through the two-race 2:28:00 average option, her 2:26:50 in Nagoya last spring meaning she only needs to run 2:29:10 or better whatever place she finishes.

Fuji TV will broadcast the race live starting at noon on Jan. 29. Check back closer to race date for more info on following live.

42nd Osaka International Women's Marathon

Elite Field Highlights

Osaka, 29 Jan. 2023

complete field listing

times listed are best in last 3 years except where noted

Maurine Chepkemoi (Kenya) - 2:20:18 (Amsterdam 2021)

Haven Hailu Desse (Ethiopia) - 2:20:19 (Amsterdam 2021)

Sisay Meseret Gola (Ethiopia) - 2:20:50 (Seville 2022)

Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku) - 2:22:13 (Berlin 2022)

Yuka Ando (Wacoal) - 2:22:22 (Nagoya 2022)

Mao Uesugi (Starts) - 2:22:29 (Osaka Int'l 2022)

Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) - 2:23:30 (Osaka Int'l 2021) - scratch due to injury

Sairi Maeda (Daihatsu) - 2:25:25 (Nagoya 2019)

Haruka Yamaguchi (AC Kita) - 2:26:35 (Osaka Int'l 2020)

Chiharu Ikeda (Hitachi) - 2:26:50 (Nagoya 2022)

Risper Gesabwa (Mexico) - 2:26:55 (Valencia 2021)

Reia Iwade (Denso) - 2:27:03 (Nagoya 2022)

Munkhzaya Bayartsogt (Mongolia) - 2:28:03 (Osaka Int'l 2020)

Shiho Kaneshige (GRlab Yamaguchi) - 2:28:51 (Osaka Int'l 2020)

Alice Wright (Great Britain) - 2:29:08 (Houston 2022)

Anna Matsuda (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 2:29:52 (Osaka Int'l 2021)

Yui Okada (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 2:30:03 (Tokyo 2022)

Nana Sato (Starts) - 2:30:24 (Nagoya 2022)

Misato Horie (Sysmex) - 2:32:10 (Osaka 2022)

Madoka Nakano (Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:32:56 (Osaka Int'l 2021) - scratch due to injury

Mariko Yugeta (Saitama T&F Assoc.) - 2:52:13 (Osaka Int'l 2021)

Debut/Do-Over

Sakiho Tsutsui (Yamada Holdings) - 1:09:14 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)

Yumi Yoshikawa (Uniqlo) - 1:10:07 (Sanyo Half 2021)

Yuna Daito (Tenmaya) - 1:10:12 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)

Kotomi Tsubokura (Wacoal) - 1:11:02 (Sanyo Half 2021)

Honoka Tanaike (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:11:13 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)

Kasumi Nishihara (Sysmex) - 1:52:27 (Osaka 30 km 2022)

World Championships Medalist Racewalking Coach Mizuho Sakai Recognized With Highest Coaching Honor

The 2023 Mizuno Sports Mentor Awards recognizing excellence in coaching were held Apr. 23 in Tokyo. Toyo University assistant coach and race walking coach Mizuho Sakai was given a gold award, the program's highest honor, and expressed her thanks and joy in a speech at the award ceremony. The coach of 2023 Budapest World Championships men's 35 km race walk bronze medalist Masatora Kawano , Sakai said, "This is an incredible honor and I'm truly grateful. As a child I wanted to be in the sporting world and I've spent my life in that world. My end goal was always to play a supporting role for other athletes, so I'm honored to be recognized in this way." Sakai's husband Toshiyuki Sakai , head coach of Toyo's three-time Hakone Ekiden champion team, attended the awards gala with her and was also introduced to the audience. After bowing he took a seat in front of her and watched with warmth as she received recognition for her outstanding work. The Mizun

Hirabayashi Runs PB at Shanghai Half, WR Holder Nakata Dominates Fuji Five Lakes - Weekend Road Roundup

Returning to the roads after his 2:06:18 win at February's Osaka Marathon, Kiyoto Hirabayashi (Koku Gakuin University) took 5th at Sunday's Shanghai Half Marathon in a PB 1:01:23, just under a minute behind winner Roncer Kipkorir Konga (Kenya) who clocked a CR 1:00:29. After inexplicably running the equivalent of a sub-59 half marathon to win the Hakone Ekiden's Third Stage, Aoi Ota (Aoyama Gakuin Univ.) was back to running performances consistent with his other PBs with a 1:02:30 for 8th. His AGU teammate Kyosuke Hiramatsu was 10th in 1:04:00. Women's winner Magdalena Shauri (Tanzania) also set a new CR in 1:09:57. Aoyama Gakuin runners took the top four spots in the men's half marathon at the Aomori Sakura Marathon , with Hakone alternate Kosei Shiraishi getting the win in 1:04:32 and B-team members Shunto Hamakawa and Kei Kitamura 2nd and 3rd in 1:04:45 and 1:04:48. Club runners took the other division titles, Hina Shinozaki winning the women's half

Okumoto and Kondo Score Silver and Bronze - U20 Asian Championships Day One

The U20 Asian Athletics Championships started Wednesday in Dubai, U.A.E. Narumi Okumoto (Hitachi) and Nozomi Kondo (Meijo Univ.) scored Japan's first two medals in the women's 3000 m, running behind leader Yaxuan Li of China over the first 1000 m. Kondo lost touch after the first 1000 m, while Okumoto lasted another 1000 m with Li. Li took gold in 9:12.79, Okumoto silver in 9:25.19 and Kondo bronze in 9:38.91. In qualifying rounds: Both Yuri Nishida (Ritsumeikan Univ.) and Sari Kameda (Kyoto Kyoiku Univ.) won their women's 800 m heats and advanced to the next round, Nishida in a PB 2:07.36 and Kamei in 2:10.87, also a PB. Shota Fuchigami (Waseda Univ.) won his 400 mH heat in a PB 50.19 to make the final. Hiroto Shogomori (Chuo Univ.) was 2nd in his 400 m heat in 47.37, yet another athlete to run a PB, moving on to the semifinals. The lone female sprinter on the Japanese team, Misaki Morimoto (Sonoda Joshi Gakuen Univ.) won her 100 m heat in 12.20 (-1.4) and advance

japan running news

Search This Blog