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Chepkirui Wins Nagoya Women's Marathon




Heavy-duty favorite Sheila Chepkirui took the win at Sunday's Nagoya Women's Marathon, pulling away after 30 km to cruise in for 1st in 2:20:40. Erratic pacing early saw the first and second groups only seconds apart for much of the first half of the race, the top group slower than planned and the 2nd group a bit ahead of schedule. At halfway in 1:10:37 the front group included Chepkirui, #2-ranked Ruti Aga and last year's runner-up Eunice Chumba, and Japanese contingent Sayaka Sato, Rika Kaseda, Natsuki Omori and Mao Uesugi. Omori was the first to drop, then Uesugi, then Aga, who ultimately dropped out before 30 km.

When the pacers stopped at 30 km Chepkirui made a move that dropped Kaseda and strung out Chumba and Sato behind her, but all four came back together once before another surge put Kaseda away for good. As Chepkirui inched away Sato and Chumba passed each other repeatedly, and Chumba could only watch as the top Japanese runner got away from her again this year.

Sato couldn't close the gap to Chepkirui but hung for a negative split to crack 2:21 with an all-time Japanese #9 2:20:59 PB for 2nd, enough to put her ahead of the top Japanese woman at January's Osaka International Women's Marathon, Kana Kobayashi, in priority order for the Tokyo World Championships team. Chumba took 3rd in 2:21:35, with Uesugi hanging on to retake Kaseda for 4th in a PB 2:22:11 to Kaseda's 2:23:05.


International runners took the next 3 spots, Australian Isobel Batt-Doyle 6th in 2:23:29, American Natosha Rogers running a massive PB of 2:23:51 for 8th, and Australian Leanne Pompeani 8th in 2:24:53 in her debut. Kaseda's teammate Natsuki Omori was 9th with a PB 2:25:36, with women-only half-marathon NR holder Rino Goshima struggling in her debut and taking 10th in 2:26:08. Further down the field, 65-69 age group world record holder Mariko Yugeta ran a season best 3:09:16 for 140th, bettering her time from Osaka in January by 13 seconds.

Sato, Kobayashi and Japan's other top men and women will have to wait until Mar. 26 to find out the JAAF's decision on who will represent the hosts in Tokyo at the World Championships this September.

Nagoya Women's Marathon

Nagoya, Aichi, 9 Mar. 2025

1. Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) - 2:20:40
2. Sayaka Sato (Japan/Sekisui Kagaku) - 2:20:59 - PB
3. Eunice Chebichii Chumba (Bahrain) - 2:21:35
4. Mao Uesugi (Japan/Tokyo Metro) - 2:22:11 - PB
5. Rika Kaseda (Japan/Daihatsu) - 2:23:05
6. Isobel Batt-Doyle (Australia) - 2:23:29
7. Natosha Rogers (U.S.A.) - 2:23:51 - PB
8. Leanne Pompeani (Australia) - 2:24:53 - debut
9. Natsuki Omori (Japan/Daihatsu) - 2:25:36 - PB
10. Rino Goshima (Japan/Shiseido) - 2:26:08 - debut
11. Cuomu Ciren (China) - 2:26:52
12. Sakiho Tsutsui (Japan/Univ. Ent.) - 2:27:14
13. Fabienne Konigstein (Germany) - 2:28:20
14. Yuna Wada (Japan/Japan Post) - 2:28:39 - debut
15. Yuri Mitsune (18 Ginko) - 2:29:04 - PB
16. Li Bai (China) - 2:29:32
17. Kaena Takeyama (Japan/Senko) - 2:29:40
18. Mayuka Fujita (Japan/Route Inn Hotels) - 2:30:05 - debut
19. Yumi Yoshikawa (Japan/Chiba T&F Assoc.) - 2:30:33
20. Dan Li (China) - 2:30:46
21. Ayumi Morita (Japan/Tokyo Metro) - 2:31:43
22. Yuka Gito (Japan/Higo Ginko) - 2:32:55 - PB
23. Kanako Takemoto (Japan/Daihatsu) - 2:34:30
24. Io Akashi (Japan/18 Ginko) - 2:36:39 - PB
25. Kaho Horio (Japan/Route Inn Hotels) - 2:36:51 - debut
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140. Mariko Yugeta (Japan) - 3:09:16
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DNF - Ruti Aga (Ethiopia)
DNF - Pauline Kamulu (Kenya/Route Inn Hotels)
DNF - Natsuki Ogawa (Japan/Suzuki)
DNF - Eriko Otsuka (Japan/Higo Ginko)
DNF - Natasha Wodak (Canada)

photo © 2025 Montri Boonyasat/Running Insider, all rights reserved
text © 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Stefan said…
Nagoya Marathon seems to always deliver a fast time for Japanese athletes but I didn't expect a time so fast from Sayaka Sato. She executed her race plan to perfection with incredibly consistent 5k splits. Incredible PB and overall 2nd place. And a fantastic return to form for Mao Uesugi too! Great PB also! Very surprising. I'd imagine Rika Kaseda would be disappointed coming into the race with confidence, a great training camp without injury and in superb form. She ran well and finished in a very good time. I kept thinking she might run down Sayaka Sato the way she did in Berlin 2022 when they both finished with PBs but it wasn't to be. Rino Goshima's 2:26:08 wasn't a bad debut but with such high expectations it will hurt. I'm sure she will improve once she gets accustomed to the distance. Three Japanese runners ahead of the Australians this time round. It was quite the reversal from Tokyo last Sunday. An exciting race. I understand Yuka Ando is auto selected for World Champs as finishing top in JMC points. I would like to see Sayaka Sato and Kobayashi Kana selected too given their outstanding performances and times but it wouldn't surprise me to see a different trio selected. Whomever is selected it will be strong team and I'm sure those that miss out can perhaps target an overseas major marathon such as Berlin, Chicago, Sydney or New York.

P.S. I think you made a typo in the 2nd last paragraph "with women-only marathon NR holder Rino Goshima struggling in her debut and taking 10th in 2:26:08". I think you omitted "Half" as in the Half Only Marathon NR holder.
March 9, 2025 at 3:52 PM
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