Scratches Announced from Sunday's Osaka International Women's Marathon

Two days out from the Jan. 26 Osaka International Women's Marathon a few scratches have been announced near the bottom of the very short entry list. Out with injury is 2:26:50 runner Madoka Nakano, along with two collegiate runners who were set to make their debuts, Rio Einaga and Nanako Miwa.

That's not going to impact the race up front, but it does make what is already a very small race for something with World Athletics platinum label status even smaller. There's last year's winner Workenesh Edesa, 3rd-placer Mizuki Matsuda, 7th-placer Natsumi Matsushita 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. It's a great chance to score some rankings points, and for the home team to try to get an edge up on Tokyo World Championships selection.

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.

Fuji TV will be broadcasting the race live starting at noon local time, with official streaming on TVer. Live splits and results are here.

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. Streaming starts at 12:00 local time Sunday.

44th Osaka International Women's Marathon

Elite Field Highlights

Osaka, 26 Jan. 2025

complete field listing here

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) - scratch

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) - scratch

Kurumi Yoda (Osaka Gakuin Univ.) - 1:12:46 (Kansai University Half 2024)

Nanako Miwa (Kansai Gaikokugo Univ.) - 1:14:37 (Kansai University Half 2023) - scratch

Nagoya Asian Games Test Event Canceled After Insulation Falls From Venue Ceiling

A section of insulation material fell from the ceiling of Nagoya Kinjo Futo Arena, the official venue for squash competition at September's Nagoya Asian Games. There were no injuries, but the city suspended use of the arena until its safety could be guaranteed, resulting in the cancelation of the Asian Games squash test event which was scheduled to have begun on May 14. It is not yet clear whether the arena will be usable for the Asian Games as planned. According to city officials, arena staff found that the insulation material had fallen onto a work walkway 13 m above the ground on the night of May 11. The fallen material was 3.6 m long, 50 cm wide and 2.5 km thick, and was found to be waterlogged. The cause of the accident is unknown, but it is possible that it was caused by rainwater leaking in from the roof. The same insulation material is installed across the entire ceiling, and the city plans to check for the extent of the possible flooding. Asked whether the arena will be re...

Hakone Ekiden Qualifying Race Entry Roster Sizes Increased from 14 to 16

Hakone Ekiden organizers KGRR have announced details for the qualifying half marathon for next year's 103rd Hakone Ekiden. The Yosenkai qualifying race will be held Oct. 17 in Tachikawa, Tokyo. The combined times of the 10 fastest finishers from each participating team will be used for team scoring, with the 10 fastest teams going on the the main event next January and top-placing individuals from teams that do not qualify being names to the Kanto Region Student Alliance select team. One change from previous years is that the number of runners each school can enter has been increased from 14 to 16. Teams will still only be allowed to have from 10 to 12 athletes on the starting line, but the move gives coaches greater flexibility in making the final decision on their starting rosters. No changes have been made to the qualifying times of 34:00 for 10000 m or 1:13:00 for the half marathon, and the new earlier starting time of 8:30 a.m. introduced last year in an effort to mitigate ...

Nomura and Odagiri Go 3-4 at Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km

2010 Zevenheuvelenloop 15 km Nijmegen, Netherlands, 11/21/10 Women click here for complete women's results 1. Genet Getaneh (Ethiopia) - 47:53 2. Florence Kiplagat (Kenya) - 48:07 3. Sayo Nomura (Meijo Univ.) - 49:43 4. Aki Odagiri (Meijo Univ.) - 51:37 5. Benita Willis (Australia) - 51:51 Men click here for complete men's results 1. Leonard Patrick Komon (Kenya) - 41:13 - WR 2. Abera Kuma (Ethiopia) - 42:01 3. Ayele Abshiro (Ethiopia) - 42:01 4. Abraham Kiplimo (Uganda) - 43:03 5. Berhanu Delale (Ethiopia) - 43:08 ----- 14. Kazuya Watanabe (Team Sanyo Tokushu Seiko) - 45:31

japan running news

Search This Blog