Kenyans Kabuu, Jemeli and Cheyech Lead Nagoya Women's Marathon Field

The Nagoya Women's Marathon is the largest women-only marathon in the world, one with a long history as an elite race and adapting to the times with a mass-participation field of 20,000. The last few years it has seen a series of dynamic, high-level performances by top Japanese women, from Sairi Maeda's 2:22:48 in 2015 to the 2:23:19 to 2:23:20 sprint finish battle between Tomomi Tanaka and Rei Ohara in 2016 to Yuka Ando's stellar 2:21:36 debut and teammate Mao Kiyota's 2:23:47 breakthrough last year.

Maeda, Ohara and Kiyota all return this year to face the Kenyan trio of Lucy Kabuu, Valary Jemeli and Flomena Cheyech Daniel. Kabuu went to high school in Japan before moving on to the big leagues, but she hasn't finished a marathon since her 2:20:21 in Dubai 2015. Cheyech also used to be based in Japan as is a familiar face here, winning the last two Saitama International Marathons. Jemeli is making her Japanese debut, and with a 2:21:57 win in Prague and a 2:20:53 for 3rd in Berlin last year she'll arrive as the favorite.

At the next tier the field is thick, with seven women at the 2:24~2:27 level led by Ethiopian Meskerem Assefa and Japan's Reia Iwade. Following up on Ando's mega debut last year, 31:22.92 track runner Hanami Sekine will be making an early debut just a few days after turning 23. Collegiate runner Yomogi Akasaka will also be debuting, as will Ohara's teammate Mizuki Tanimoto. Don't be surprised to see one or more of them in the action.

The Nagoya women's marathon will be broadcast live on Fuji TV starting at 9:00 a.m. local time on March 11. Check back closer to race date for more info on following the race live from abroad.

Nagoya Women's Marathon Elite Field Highlights

Nagoya, 3/11/18
times listed are best in last three years except where noted
click here for complete field listing

Lucy Kabuu (Kenya) - 2:20:21 (Dubai 2015)
Valary Jemeli (Kenya) - 2:20:53 (Berin '17)
Flomena Cheyech Daniel (Kenya) - 2:21:22 (Paris 2017)
Sairi Maeda (Japan/Daihatsu) - 2:22:48 (Nagoya 2015)
Rei Ohara (Japan/Tenmaya) - 2:23:20 (Nagoya 2016)
Mao Kiyota (Japan/Suzuki Hamamatsu AC) - 2:23:47 (Nagoya 2017)
Meskerem Assefa (Ethiopia) - 2:24:18 (Rotterdam 2017)
Reia Iwade (Japan/Dome) - 2:24:38 (Nagoya 2016)
Shiho Takechi (Japan/Yamada Denki) - 2:25:29 (Nagoya 2016)
Hanae Tanaka (Japan/Shiseido) - 2:26:19 (Osaka Int'l 2017)
Michi Numata (Japan/Toyota Jidoshokki) - 2:27:27 (Nagoya 2016)
Merima Mohammed (Bahrain) - 2:27:49 (Frankfurt 2017)
Miharu Shimokado (Japan/Nitori) - 2:27:54 (Nagoya 2017)
Misaki Kato (Japan/Kyudenko) - 2:28:12 (Hofu 2017)
Karolina Nadolska (Poland) - 2:28:12 (Lodz 2014)
Keiko Nogami (Japan/Juhachi Ginko) - 2:28:19 (Nagoya 2015)
Kaori Yoshida (Japan/RxL) - 2:28:24 (Nagoya 2017)
Sara Dossena (Italy) - 2:29:39 (New York 2017)
Kikuyo Tsuzaki (Japan/Noritz) - 2:31:33 (Riga 2017)
Hiroko Miyauchi (Japan/Hokuren) - 2:32:40 (Osaka Int'l 2016)
Yuko Mizuguchi (Japan/Denso) - 2:33:20 (Nagoya 2016)
Mei Matsuyama (Japan/Noritz) - 2:34:35 (Nagoya 2016)
Sakie Arai (Japan/Higo Ginko) - 2:34:40 (Osaka Int'l 2017)
Yoko Miyauchi (Japan/Hokuren) - 2:35:09 (Nagoya 2016)
Ayano Ikemitsu (Japan/Kagoshima Ginko) - 2:36:18 (Osaka Int'l 2018)
Yurie Doi (Japan/Fujitsu) - 2:36:28 (Hokkaido 2017)
Mayumi Fujita (Japan/Nagasaki T&F Assoc.) - 2:36:53 (Nagoya 2016)

Debut
Hanami Sekine (Japan/Japan Post) - 31:22.92 (track 10000 m, 2016)
Yomogi Akasaka (Japan/Meijo Univ.) - 1:11:41 (Marugame Half 2016)
Mizuki Tanimoto (Japan/Tenmaya) - 1:12:17 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2017)
Erika Ikeda (Japan/Higo Ginko) - 1:12:38 (Sanyo Women's Half 2015)

© 2018 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

National University Championships Entry Lists and Streaming

The 95th National University Track and Field Championships run Friday through Monday at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama. The complete meet schedule and live results are here . The 10000 m races were already held separately earlier this season. Streaming starts at 9:00 a.m. Saturday Japan time, with separate field event channels and Day 2 and 3 streaming here . Top entries in each event with best performance in the qualifying window: Men 100 m Shoma Yamamoto (Hiroshima Univ.) - 10.04 Fukuto Komuro (Chuo Univ.) - 10.07 Naoki Nishioka (Tsukuba Univ.) - 10.09 Riku Oishi (Toyo Univ.) - 10.13 Kaito Kuroki (Chuo Univ.) - 10.14 Ryunosuke Mizuno (Waseda Univ.) - 10.14 Yugo Haitamataira (Juntendo Univ.) - 10.17 Shun Miyashita (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 10.19 200 m Akira Hayashi (Keio Univ.) - 20.36 Tomoru Funaki (Daito Bunka Univ.) - 20.39 Oma Asai (Tsukuba Univ.) - 20.47 Reishin Yamamoto (Toyo Univ.) - 20.49 Shingo Suzuki (Tokai Univ.) - 20.54 Haruto Nakamura (Fukuoka Univ.) - 20.55 400 m Shinya Hayashi...

Yuasa and Niiya Win Hokkaido Marathon, 6 Qualify for Olympic Trials

Six more people picked up qualifying spots for next year's MGC Race at yesterday's Hokkaido Marathon in Sapporo, guaranteeing themselves places at Japan's 2028 Los Angeles Olympics marathon trials. In the men's race, Hibiki Yoshida tried to break away from the massive lead group at 30 km, opening a 25-second lead between there and 35 km before getting cut down by the chase trio of Jin Yuasa , Ken Tansho and Masato Arao . All three stayed together until the very end, Yuasa showing the same kind of closing speed he had in winning 2025 Nobeoka Nishi Nippon Marathon and pulling away to win in 2:10:46. The debuting Tansho was next in 2:10:55, with Arao, 6th at last year's Sydney Marathon in an excellent 2:07:42, 3rd here in 2:10:59. By clearing 2:12:00 all three picked up MGC qualifying spots, freeing them up to go overseas next spring. Continuing a great season, Soka University 's Shoki Yamaguchi was 4th in 2:11:47, missing out on trials qualification but bea...

Monterey Welcomes Student-Athletes from Sister City Nanao, Japan

a press release by the Monterey-Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project photos here Fourteen student-athletes from Nanao High School in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan, recently completed a weeklong visit to the Monterey Peninsula as part of the Monterey–Nanao Cross Country Exchange Project , bringing together young people from the two Sister Cities through running, education, environmental stewardship, cultural exchange, and friendship. The seven boys and seven girls from Nanao were paired with 14 members of the Monterey High School cross country team and stayed in their homes throughout the visit. The week marked the first half of a reciprocal exchange that will continue when the Monterey students travel to Nanao later this year. The visitors received their first introduction to Monterey shortly after arriving at Monterey High School, walking with their hosts to Sister City Park and gathering for photographs beside the sign honoring Nanao — a fitting beginning for a week devoted to bringin...

japan running news

Search This Blog