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Osaka International Women's Marathon and Osaka Half Marathon Elite Fields


The elite field for the Jan. 26 Osaka International Women's Marathon is out, and it's a really short list, especially given Osaka International's World Athletics platinum label status. There's last year's winner Workenesh Edesa, 3rd-placer Mizuki Matsuda, 7th-placer Natsumi Matsushita, 9th-placer Madoka Nakano 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.

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.

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.

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)
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)
Kurumi Yoda (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 1:12:46 (Kansai University Half 2024)
Nanako Miwa (Kansai Gaikokugo Univ.) - 1:14:37 (Kansai University Half 2023)

© 2024 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Stefan said…
I don't want to be a naysayer but I get the feeling Yuka Suzuki won't get close to a sub 2:20 time. She peaked well at the Paris Olympics to get a PB on such a tough course but there is nothing I can see that gives me confidence that she can run a seriously fast time on a fast course at Osaka. I'll be surprised if anyone gets close to Honami Maeda's National Record. That was a run for the ages, under enormous pressure that I won't soon forget. It will be difficult for Mizuki Matsuda to post another PB on the back of her impressive Berlin marathon. It would be amazing if Nanaka Izawa can do something special. She has really shone since her comeback and across a lot of distances so if anyone can, perhaps she can. If she runs 2:20 to 2:23 that would be a very successful debut. Also, looking forward to seeing if Kana Kobayashi can continue to progress. It's dangerous for her running this event. I fear it is too soon after Hofu, only 2 months. To recover, train again and then peak for the race. Physically and mentally I'm not convinced this was a wise move. I expect Workenesh Edesa to win this race if she is anywhere near the form she was in last year. It should be a good race.
December 28, 2024 at 11:44 AM
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