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Chesang Wins Osaka Women's Marathon in 2:19:31, Yada Drops 2:19:57 Debut NR


This year's Osaka International Women's Marathon was a race run with a high level of methodicalness, starting slower than the planned 3:19/km but ramping up until the lead pack was skimming around the 2:20:15-30 projected finish level. After hitting halfway in 1:10:13 with a group of 6, by 25 km only 4 were left up front, sub-2:19 runners Workenesh Edesa, Stella Chesang and Bedatu Hirpa, and the debuting Mikuni Yada, and when the last 2 pacers stepped off at 30 km it was Yada who went to the front.

Despite never have raced longer than the 10.6 km Third Stage at November's Queens Ekiden where she had helped the Edion team score its first-ever national title, Yada was very, very impressive, fearlessly surging from 12 km and never letting up, even laughing and smiling to fans along the course. When she started sustaining a pace around 3:15/km the projected finish dropped under 2:20 and all the way down to 2:19:28 by 35 km, and even when all 3 of the more experienced runners went by her just after 35 km she fought back to retake the lead.

Chesang pulled away with just over 3 km and ran on to win in 2:19:31, but all the way to the track finish Yada fought back against Ethiopian duo Edesa and Hirpa, digging deep to catch back up and even attack every time they got away. All 3 finished within 3 seconds of each other, Hirpa taking 2nd in 2:19:54 and Edesa 3rd win 2:19:56 a step ahead of Yada, whose 2:19:57 crushed the debut national record. Amazingly, it was only the 2nd time a Japanese woman has ever gone sub-2:20 inside Japan, and even more amazingly Yada said in post-race interviews that the race and the training leading up to it had been fun, not hard.

Yada qualified for the L.A. Olympic marathon trials, and to join her the next 5 Japanese women had to be under 2:27:00. After falling off the lead pack Mao Uesugi held on for 5th in 2:23:07, with Rie Kawauchi coming up from the 2nd group to run down Mizuki Matsuda for 6th in 2:24:16, Matsuda making the cut in 2:26:16 for 7th. Still on track at 40 km after running with Uesugi behind the lead group, Nanaka Izawa blew up hard and shuffled in to 8th in 2:27:45, a PB by 2 minutes but missing Olympic trials qualification.

Making her debut with the goal with the plan of running 2:23 pace to 30 km as a step toward going for the collegiate record next year before her graduation, Amisa Murayama of Mt. Fuji Women's Ekiden runner-up Tohoku Fukushi University ran 100% according to plan. Running down Matsuda and dropping Kawauchi and Mizuki Nishimura, Murayama was in 7th in 1:41:43 when she stopped as planned, 2:23:04 pace versus the 2:26:46 collegiate record. Look for her to crush it next year.

45th Osaka International Women's Marathon

Osaka, 25 January 2026

1. Stella Chesang (Uganda) - 2:19:31
2. Bedatu Hirpa (Ethiopia) - 2:19:54
3. Workenesh Edesa (Ethiopia) - 2:19:56
4. Mikuni Yada (Japan/Edion) - 2:19:57 - debut NR
5. Mao Uesugi (Japan/Tokyo Metro) - 2:23:07
6. Rie Kawauchi (Japan/Otsuka Seiyaku) - 2:24:16 - PB
7. Mizuki Matsuda (Japan/Daihatsu) - 2:26:16
8. Nanaka Izawa (Japan/Starts) - 2:27:45 - PB
9. Mizuki Nishimura (Japan/Tenmaya) - 2:28:21
10. Madoka Nakano (Japan/Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:29:29
11. Miyu Fukada (Japan/Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 2:34:41 - PB
12. Yuki Toyoda (Japan/Ehime Ginko) - 2:37:18 - PB
13. Miyu Moriuchi (Japan/Team Hally) - 2:37:50
14. Miu Yagi (Japan/Iwatani Sangyo) - 2:38:14 - debut
15. Saki Shimada (Japan/Tokachi T&F Assoc.) - 2:38:22
16. Yumeno Yamazaki (Japan/Kyoto T&F Assoc.) - 2:38:22 - debut
17. Kotomi Tsubokura (Japan/Wacoal) - 2:38:28 - PB
18. Mizuki Oda (Japan/Ritsumeikan Univ.) - 2:38:36 - PB
19. Chisa Endo (Japan/Pacer TC) - 2:39:22 - PB
20. Tomomi Nakajima (Japan/Kayobi Renshukai) - 2:39:53
21. Ayumi Yokota (Japan/Mikishi T&F Assoc.) - 2:39:53
22. Yuka Tanaka (Japan/Tokyo T&F Assoc.) - 2:41:04 - debut
23. Mayo Onishi (Japan/Nagai AC) - 2:41:16 - PB
24. Fuka Hirokawa (Japan/Saikyo RC) - 2:42:24 - PB
25. Miyuki Shibata (Japan/Douou T&F Assoc.) - 2:42:58 - PB
26. Namika Sugasaki (Japan/Osaka Geijutsu Univ.) - 2:43:17 - debut
27. Natsumi Kawai (Japan/Kagawa RC) - 2:43:51 - debut
28. Yu Nasuno (Japan/Tokyo T&F Assoc.) - 2:44:00 - PB
29. Tomomi Nakayasu (Japan/Mikishi T&F Assoc.) - 2:44:26 - PB
30. Brooke Williams (Australia) - 2:45:02 - PB
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DNF - Amisa Murayama (Tohoku Fukushi Univ.) 
DNF - Sakiho Tsutsui (Universal Entertainment)

© 2026 Brett Larner, all rights reserved

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Anonymous said…
That was an amazing and very exciting race by Mikuni. I'm delighted she got under 2:20 and in doing so she ran the second fastest debut marathon ever by a woman not born in East Africa (only Paula R faster) and became just the 13th non-African woman to break 2:20 (6 of them Japanese).

21yo Amisa Murayama's run was also highly promising and she looks made for the marathon. Next stop for her the World University Cross Country Championships in mid-March (in Italy).
January 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM
Anonymous said…
Outstanding marathon debut by Mikuni Yada. Unbelievable time because it was so unexpected. Great race to the finish. Mao Uesugi did well too. Rie Kawauchi was clearly very happy! Nice to see. I was disappointed for Nanaka Izawa and Mizuki Nishimura. Both promised so much but there is still time to get that MGC Qualification. Pace makers did a superb job this year. No issues at the drink stations. Great TV coverage and commentary. 3 years in a row Osaka Marathon has delivered something special. Still can't believe I watched Mikuni Yada do what she did. Please, please, just don't get injured!
January 26, 2026 at 6:33 AM
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