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Nagoya Women's Marathon Elite Field (updated)


The Mar. 9 Nagoya Women's Marathon is the last big elite marathon on Japan's winter schedule, this year with a trio of sub-2:20 runners up front, Sheila Chepkirui, Aga Ruti and Hitomi Niiya. It being a home soil World Championships selection cycle there's decent depth behind them, and 2:21 runner Rika Kaseda looks especially on her game right now with a 1:07:53 PB at the Marugame Half earlier this month. Australian Isobel Batt-Doyle is also trending in the right direction, having run 2:22:59 in her last go in Valencia in December.

The debut list is pretty interesting, with women-only half marathon NR holder Rino Goshima, 1:08:03, making her debut, as are 1:09:01 Australian Leanne Pompeani and track runner Yuna Wada. 2018 World Half Marathon silver medalist Pauline Kamulu isn't technically debuting, having run 2:31:04 at last summer's hot and humid Hokkaido Marathon, but with a 1:07:33 in Marugame ahead of Kaseda she has a lot of potential to go 10 minutes or more better.

Updated with withdrawals announced Feb. 28.

Nagoya Women's Marathon Elite Field Highlights

Nagoya, Aichi, 9 Mar. 2025
times listed are athletes' best within last 3 years except where noted

Sheila Chepkirui (Kenya) - 2:17:29 (Valencia 2022)
Aga Ruti (Ethiopia) - 2:18:09 (Dongying 2023)
Hitomi Niiya (Japan/Sekisui Kagaku) - 2:19:24 (Houston 2023) - withdrawn
Eunice Chumba (Bahrain) - 2:20:02 (Seoul 2022)
Rika Kaseda (Japan/Daihatsu) - 2:21:55 (Berlin 2022)
Sayaka Sato (Japan/Sekisui Kagaku) - 2:22:13 (Berlin 2022)
Isobel Batt-Doyle (Australia) - 2:22:59 (Valencia 2024)
Natasha Wodak (Canada) - 2:23:12 (Berlin 2022)
Mao Uesugi (Japan/Tokyo Metro) - 2:24:16 (Nagoya 2023)
Yuki Nakamura (Japan/Panasonic) - 2:24:22 (Gold Coast 2024) - withdrawn
Yumi Yoshikawa (Japan/Chiba T&F Assoc.) - 2:25:20 (Osaka Women's 2023)
Kaede Kawamura (Japan/Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:25:44 (Osaka 2024) - withdrawn
Yuyu Xia (China) - 2:25:45 (Nagoya 2024)
Fabienne Konigstein (Germany) - 2:25:48 (Hamburg 2023)
Li Bai (China) - 2:26:33 (Wuxi 2023)
Cuomu Ciren (China) - 2:26:47 (Hengshui 2024)
Sakiho Tsutsui (Japan/Univ. Ent.) - 2:26:51 (Rotterdam 2024)
Natsuki Omori (Japan/Daihatsu) - 2:26:54 (Nagoya 2024)
Reia Iwade (Japan/Denso) - 2:27:03 (Nagoya 2022)
Dan Li (China) - 2:27:32 (Wuxi 2024)
Kaede Takeyama (Japan/Senko) - 2:29:20 (Osaka Women's 2023)
Yuri Mitsune (Japan/18 Ginko) - 2:29:49 (Nagoya 2024)
Pauline Kamulu (Kenya/Route Inn Hotels) - 2:31:04 (Hokkaido 2024)
Ayumi Morita (Japan/Tokyo Metro) - 2:31:38 (Tokyo 2024)

Debut
Rino Goshima (Japan/Shiseido) - 1:08:03 (National Corporate Half 2022)
Leanne Pompeani (Australia) - 1:09:01 (Melbourne 2024)
Yuna Wada (Japan/Japan Post) - 32:49.59 (National Championships 10000 m 2023)

© 2025 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Stefan said…
Great field. So much interest in the debutants and the seasoned athletes, local and foreign. This has the make up to be an excellent race and a fast one at that. I'd really like to see Rino Goshima do well on her debut. She has all the ingredients for a great marathoner being such a standout Ekiden and road race performer. I'm expecting the Aussie women to be in the mix too. And as you pointed out, Rika Kaseda, has crossed all the checkboxes and should be primed for this one. A PB from her would be outstanding. Also interested to see how Yuki Nakamura does here given her outstanding progression and results last year. Could we see sub 2:20 from a Japanese athlete? Not sure about that but perhaps sub 2:21 is possible. Sub 2:21:19 to beat Kana Kobayashi's time. It will take a PB or an incredible debut or Hitomi Niiya to find her 2023 form.
February 14, 2025 at 8:05 AM
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