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Osaka International Women's Marathon Elite Field


The Osaka International Women's Marathon jumps into the World Athletics platinum label pool Jan. 29 with its 42nd edition. A-group pacing it set to go at 3:19~20/km, 2:19:57 to 2:20:39 pace, with organizers opting to switch back to female pacers after two years with men. They've pulled in a trio of recent 2:20-level women, Kenyan Maurine Chepkemoi and Ethiopians Haven Hailu Desse and Sisay Meseret Gola, to try to max out the chances that the top Japanese women will be able to ride that in to something close to sub-2:20, and have tweaked the course a bit to do the same.

Yuka Ando (Wacoal) is the only Japanese woman in the race to have gone sub-2:22 in her career, but in terms of times in the last three years she's one of three coming in with a 2:22, alongside last year's runner-up Mao Uesugi (Starts) and Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku). Tokyo Olympian Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) is in the mix too with a 2:23:30 in Osaka two years ago and some good half marathons last year, if she can make it to the starting line.

Interesting debuts include sub-70 half marathoner Sakiho Tsutsui (Yamada Holdings), steepler Yumi Yoshikawa (Uniqlo), Yuna Daito (Tenmaya), and the long-awaited first stab from 2009 World University Games 10000 m gold medalist Kasumi Nishihara (Sysmex). Hidden away deep in the field without a recent qualifying time but given special permission from the JAAF to run is collegiate record holder Sairi Maeda (Daihatsu), running her first marathon since 2019. 60+ world record holder Mariko Yugeta (Saitama T&F Assoc.) is also back for the race where she ran her 2:52:13 WR two years ago.

Things are starting to count down toward the qualification deadline for the MGC Race, Japan's Paris Olympics marathon trials next October. Sato, Ando and Uesugi have all already qualified and can just focus on time. Likewise for mid-fielders Haruka Yamaguchi (AC Kita) and Reia Iwade (Denso). The main question will be whether Honami Maeda, winner of the last MGC Race, can finally get a qualifying mark in. To do that, she and others will need to finish in the first three Japanese places and sub-2:28, in the next three Japanese places and sub-2:27, or any domestic place beyond that and sub-2:24. Chiharu Ikeda (Hitachi) has the lowest bar to make the cut through the two-race 2:28:00 average option, her 2:26:50 in Nagoya last spring meaning she only needs to run 2:29:10 or better whatever place she finishes.

Fuji TV will broadcast the race live starting at noon on Jan. 29. Check back closer to race date for more info on following live.

42nd Osaka International Women's Marathon

Elite Field Highlights
Osaka, 29 Jan. 2023
times listed are best in last 3 years except where noted

Maurine Chepkemoi (Kenya) - 2:20:18 (Amsterdam 2021)
Haven Hailu Desse (Ethiopia) - 2:20:19 (Amsterdam 2021)
Sisay Meseret Gola (Ethiopia) - 2:20:50 (Seville 2022)
Sayaka Sato (Sekisui Kagaku) - 2:22:13 (Berlin 2022)
Yuka Ando (Wacoal) - 2:22:22 (Nagoya 2022)
Mao Uesugi (Starts) - 2:22:29 (Osaka Int'l 2022)
Honami Maeda (Tenmaya) - 2:23:30 (Osaka Int'l 2021) - scratch due to injury
Sairi Maeda (Daihatsu) - 2:25:25 (Nagoya 2019)
Haruka Yamaguchi (AC Kita) - 2:26:35 (Osaka Int'l 2020)
Chiharu Ikeda (Hitachi) - 2:26:50 (Nagoya 2022)
Risper Gesabwa (Mexico) - 2:26:55 (Valencia 2021)
Reia Iwade (Denso) - 2:27:03 (Nagoya 2022)
Munkhzaya Bayartsogt (Mongolia) - 2:28:03 (Osaka Int'l 2020)
Shiho Kaneshige (GRlab Yamaguchi) - 2:28:51 (Osaka Int'l 2020)
Alice Wright (Great Britain) - 2:29:08 (Houston 2022)
Anna Matsuda (Mitsui Sumitomo Kaijo) - 2:29:52 (Osaka Int'l 2021)
Yui Okada (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 2:30:03 (Tokyo 2022)
Nana Sato (Starts) - 2:30:24 (Nagoya 2022)
Misato Horie (Sysmex) - 2:32:10 (Osaka 2022)
Madoka Nakano (Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:32:56 (Osaka Int'l 2021) - scratch due to injury
Mariko Yugeta (Saitama T&F Assoc.) - 2:52:13 (Osaka Int'l 2021)

Debut/Do-Over
Sakiho Tsutsui (Yamada Holdings) - 1:09:14 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2020)
Yumi Yoshikawa (Uniqlo) - 1:10:07 (Sanyo Half 2021)
Yuna Daito (Tenmaya) - 1:10:12 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Kotomi Tsubokura (Wacoal) - 1:11:02 (Sanyo Half 2021)
Honoka Tanaike (Otsuka Seiyaku) - 1:11:13 (Nat'l Corp. Half 2022)
Kasumi Nishihara (Sysmex) - 1:52:27 (Osaka 30 km 2022)

© 2022 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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