Osaka International Women's Marathon Announces 2010 Elite Field

by Brett Larner

The Osaka International Women's Marathon has announced the elite field for the 2010 edition of the race to be held on Jan. 31. The domestic field should prove to be quite interesting, headed by Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren), including talented veterans Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz) and Kayoko Obata (Team Acom) and featuring promising first-timers Ryoko Kizaki (Team Daihatsu) and Azusa Nojiri (Team Daiichi Seimei).

An elite women's marathon in Japan wouldn't be complete without Sydney Olympics silver medalist Lidia Simon (Romania), and Simon is sure enough slated to be on the starting line again this time along with Olympian Olivera Jevtic (Serbia), 2009 Los Angeles Marathon runner-up Amane Gobena (Ethiopia) and others.

2009 Osaka International Women's Marathon - Elite Field
click here for more detailed profiles and athlete photos
Lidia Simon (Romania) - 2:22:54 (Osaka 2000)
Mari Ozaki (Team Noritz) - 2:23:30 (Osaka 2003)
Kayoko Obata (Team Acom) - 2:25:14 (Osaka 2000)
Olivera Jevtic (Serbia) - 2:25:23 (Rotterdam 2003)
Yukiko Akaba (Team Hokuren) - 2:25:40 (Osaka 2009)
Marisa Barros (Portugal) - 2:26:03 (Seville 2009)
Chika Horie (Team Universal Ent.) - 2:26:11 (Hokkaido 2002)
Amane Gobena (Ethiopia) - 2:26:53 (Los Angeles 2009)
Ayumi Nakayama (Team Yamada Denki) - 2:28:50 (Osaka 2008)
Dulce Maria Rodriguez (Mexico) - 2:28:54 (Chicago 2006)
Yumi Hirata (Team Shiseido) - 2:29:23 (Nagoya 2008)
Ryoko Kizaki (Team Daihatsu) - 1:10:16 (Jitsugyodan Half 2009)
Azusa Nojiri (Team Daiichi Seimei) - 1:10:53 (Jitsugyodan Half 2009)
Volha Krautsova (Belarus) - 1:11:33 (Philadelphia Half 2007)

(c) 2009 Brett Larner
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