Two days out from the Jan. 26 Osaka International Women's Marathon a few scratches have been announced near the bottom of the very short entry list. Out with injury is 2:26:50 runner Madoka Nakano, along with two collegiate runners who were set to make their debuts, Rio Einaga and Nanako Miwa.
That's not going to impact the race up front, but it does make what is already a very small race for something with World Athletics platinum label status even smaller. There's last year's winner Workenesh Edesa, 3rd-placer Mizuki Matsuda, 7th-placer Natsumi Matsushita and 12th-placer Kana Kobayashi, top Japanese Paris Olympic marathon placer Yuka Suzuki, veteran Kenyan-born Israeli Lonah Chemtai Salpeter, the debuting Nanaka Izawa, and that's about it. It's a great chance to score some rankings points, and for the home team to try to get an edge up on Tokyo World Championships selection.
Workenesh outran Honami Maeda last year, both going under 2:19 and Workenesh getting the win in 2:18:51. She has to be viewed as the favorite. Salpeter has run as fast as 2:17:45 before, but she hasn't run under 2:25 in the marathon or under 1:10 in the half marathon since 2022, so there's not much reason to think she's going to be competitive in a faster race here. Matsuda and Suzuki both ran PBs in their last marathons, Matsuda a 2:20:42 in Berlin this fall and Suzuki a 2:24:02 while finishing 6th in the Paris Olympics. Kobayashi and Izawa are interesting, Kobayashi having run 2:29:44 last year as a non-track team student at Waseda University and then winning Hofu at the beginning of December in a 2:24:59 CR, and Izawa fresh off a great 1:08:25 PB at the Sanyo Ladies Half Marathon this month.
Fuji TV will be broadcasting the race live starting at noon local time, with official streaming on TVer. Live splits and results are here.
The Osaka Half Marathon is also happening in parallel with the marathon, and the fields there are decently competitive as always. Yuka Ando won the women's race in Osaka last year in a 1:08:18 PB and is back this time, facing sub-70 runner Sakiho Tsutsui, Mongolian NR holder Khishigsaikhan Galbadrakh and more. 1:00:41 Ethiopian Gebrie Erikhun leads a domestic men's field that includes Japan-based Patrick Mathenge Wambui and a million 61-minute Japanese men. Streaming starts at 12:00 local time Sunday.
44th Osaka International Women's Marathon
Elite Field Highlights
Osaka, 26 Jan. 2025
times listed are athletes' best in last 3 years except where noted
Lonah Chemtai Salpeter (Israel) - 2:18:45 (Nagoya 2022)
Workenesh Edesa (Ethiopia) - 2:18:51 (Osaka Women's 2024)
Mizuki Matsuda (Daihatsu) - 2:20:42 (Berlin 2024)
Natsumi Matsushita (Tenmaya) - 2:23:05 (Osaka Women's 2022)
Yuka Suzuki (Daiichi Seimei) - 2:24:02 (Paris Olympics 2024)
Kana Kobayashi (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 2:24:59 (Hofu 2024)
Yumi Yoshikawa (Chiba T&F Assoc.) - 2:25:20 (Osaka Women's 2023)
Chiharu Suzuki (Hitachi) - 2:25:59 (Osaka Women's 2023)
Madoka Nakano (Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:26:50 (Osaka Women's 2024) - scratch
Mao Kiyota (Suzuki) - 2:29:20 (Nagoya 2023)
Ayano Ikeuchi (Denso) - 2:32:26 (Seoul 2024)
Ayano Ikemitsu (Kagoshima Ginko) - 2:33:29 (Nagoya 2023)
Debut
Nanaka Izawa (Starts) - 1:08:25 (Sanyo Half 2024)
Rio Einaga (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 1:11:03 (National University Half 2023) - scratch
Kurumi Yoda (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 1:12:46 (Kansai University Half 2024)
Nanako Miwa (Kansai Gaikokugo Univ.) - 1:14:37 (Kansai University Half 2023) - scratch
© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved
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