Nagoya Women's Marathon Preview

Last weekend's Tokyo Marathon sealed up the Japanese men's Paris Olympics marathon team lineup when top Japanese man Yusuke Nishiyama came 41 seconds short of the 2:05:50 he needed to take the spot away from marathon trials 3rd-placer Suguru Osako. Sunday's Nagoya Women's Marathon officially closes the window for Japanese women, but really it was pretty much slammed shut by Honami Maeda with her 2:18:59 national record in Osaka at the end of January. That was almost 3 minutes faster than what she needed to take trial 3rd-placer Ai Hosoda's place in Paris. Is there any chance anyone lining up in Nagoya could run 2:18:58 or better? There are some good people on the list, but basically no.

Gotytom Gebreslase of Ethiopia has run faster than that with a 2:18:11 for gold at the 2022 Oregon World Championships, but she's the only one. Eunice Chumba and Delvine Meringor are both at the 2:20 level, and out of the top tier of Japanese women Ayuko Suzuki and Rika Kaseda both have recent 2:21 performances, Yuka Ando a 2:22, and Momoko Watanabe a 2:23. Suzuki and Ando both have good half marathons this season, Suzuki with a 1:08:51 in Marugame and Ando a 1:08:18 a week earlier in Osaka, and Watanabe trains with Maeda. But it's a big jump to go from having to target 2:21:40 to 2:18:58, and even though weather conditions look as good as in Tokyo and pacing is bound to be as good as it usually is in Nagoya, there's just not much chance anyone can land it.

Which isn't to say it isn't going to be a good race. If everyone really goes it for and puts everything on the line it could be a classic. And there are a lot of internationals further down the field for which Nagoya will have a big part in their Olympic hopes, like Italian Giovanna Epis, Australia's Eloise Wellings, Kiwi Camille French, Chinese duo Zhixuan Li and Yuyu Xia, and Puerto Rican Beverley Ramos. Fuji TV has the broadcast starting at 9:00 local time, with streaming on TVer and Locipo if you're using a VPN. Live results will be here, and we'll cover it on @JRNLive.

Nagoya Women's Marathon Elite Field Highlights

Nagoya, Aichi, 10 Mar. 2024

complete field listing

times listed are athletes' best in last 3 years except where noted

Gotytom Gebreslase (Ethiopia) - 2:18:11 (Oregon WC 2022)

Eunice Chebichii Chumba (Bahrain) - 2:20:02 (Seoul 2022)

Delvine Relin Meringor (Romania) - 2:20:49 (Barcelona 2023)

Ayuko Suzuki (Japan/Japan Post) - 2:21:52 (Nagoya 2023)

Rika Kaseda (Japan/Daihatsu) - 2:21:55 (Berlin 2022)

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

Violah Cheptoo (Kenya) - 2:22:44 (New York 2021)

Momoko Watanabe (Japan/Tenmaya) - 2:23:08 (Osaka 2023)

Giovanna Epis (Italy) - 2:23:46 (Hamburg 2023)

Eloise Wellings (Australia) - 2:25:10 (Nagoya 2022)

Hikari Onishi (Japan/Japan Post) - 2:25:54 (Berlin 2022)

Camille French (New Zealand) - 2:26:08 (Valencia 2023)

Zhixuan Li (China) - 2:26:28 (Nagoya 2023)

Yuri Karasawa (Japan/Kyudenko) - 2:27:27 (Osaka 2023)

Honoka Tanaike (Japan/Otsuka Seiyaku) - 2:27:30 (Nagoya 2023)

Sakiho Tsutsui (Japan/Yamada Holdings) - 2:27:38 (Hofu 2023)

Yuyu Xia (China) - 2:28:57 (Beijing 2022)

Kaena Takeyama (Japan/Senko) - 2:29:20 (Osaka Women's 2023)

Beverly Ramos (Puerto Rico) - 2:31:10 (Oregon WC 2022)

Yuri Mitsune (Japan/18 Ginko) - 2:31:10 (Nagoya 2023)

Yuki Nakamura (Japan/Panasonic) - debut - 1:46:47 (Ome 30 km 2023)

Wanjiru Breaks Own MR, Fuwa and Ishida Return - Kanto Regionals Day 1 Highlights

Japan's best college meet kicked off Thursday at Tokyo's National Stadium at the 103rd Kanto Region University Track and Field Championships . Looking like she was doing a controlled tempo run, 2nd-yr Sarah Wanjiru (Daito Bunka Univ.) lapped the entire field to win the women's 10000 m in a meet record 32:02.87, almost 15 seconds under the record she last year in her debut. 3rd-yr Aoi Takahashi (Josai Univ.) was 2nd in 33:29.22 and 2nd-yr Nana Nagashima (Josai Kokusai Univ.) 3rd in a PB 33:30.28, but the other main news alongside Wanjiru's new record was the return of collegiate 10000 m record holder Seira Fuwa (Takushoku Univ.) in her first 10000 m in 19 months. Fuwa hung at the back of the chase pack for the first half, made a move to lead it in the second half, and ultimately faded to 9th in 33:40.20. Every comeback has to start somewhere. The D1 men's 10000 m had a tight group up front with the top 6 all finishing within 6 seconds and under 28:10. 3rd-yr Jam

Two-Time Olympic Marathon Medalist Erick Wainaina Referred to Prosectors on Suspicion of Assault

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Police Arrest 20-Year-Old Man Charged With Assaulting Female Runner at Popular Tokyo Running Spot

A 20-year-old man has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a female runner along the banks of the Tama River in Ota Ward, Tokyo. "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go for a walk and move my body a bit," the man told police. Local resident Hirai Muroyama , 20, of no known occupation, was arrested on charges of sexual assault. He is accused of acts including grabbing the breasts of a woman in her 20s at around 10 p.m. on May 31 along the banks of the Tama River. According to police, the woman was taking a break in her run when Muroyama approached her silently from behind and grabbed her breasts before running away. Under police interrogation Muroyama told investigators, "I've been stuck at home because of the coronavirus, so I wanted to go out for a walk and move my body. I'd had a few drinks and was feeling pretty hype. She was totally my type." source article: https://news.tbs.co.jp/newseye/tbs_newsey

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