Ruth Chepngetich to defend title in 2023 Nagoya Women’s Marathon

The Nagoya Women’s Marathon announced today the world’s best women athletes who will compete in the 12th edition race to be held on Sunday, March 12, 2023.

The top name in the elite field is defending champion Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, who ran the second-fastest women’s marathon in history in 2:14:18 in Chicago last October, after recording the second-fastest ever women-only marathon in Nagoya in March in 2:17:18 to become the first female athlete to win the largest first-prize in the world of marathon running.

Other stars in the field include Nancy Jelagat Meto of Kenya with a personal best record under 2 hours 20 minutes, Tokyo 2020 Olympic Marathon Bronze Medallist Molly Seidel of USA, and many others who have achieved outstanding performances at international competitions representing Australia, Germany, China, Puerto Rico, and South Korea.

The Japanese local athletes who will join the competition are led by Tokyo Olympians in the women’s marathon Ayuko Suzuki and Honami Maeda, as well as Mao Uesugi and Mizuki Tanimoto, who renewed their personal best records at the Osaka Women’s Marathon 2022, and Yuka Suzuki, who set the new Japanese student record in 2:25:02 in Nagoya last year.

In addition, many Japanese athletes with high-level performances, including Chiharu Ikeda, Mirai Waku, and Ayano Ikemitsu, will also challenge the world’s top runners.

In addition to being the largest women’s marathon in the world and the only all-women World Athletics Platinum label road race, the Nagoya Women’s Marathon has become the marathon event with the largest first prize in the marathon running, US$250,000 since 2022.

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All finishers of the race will receive an exclusively designed Tiffany & Co. pendant. The 2023 race will be held fully open to both domestic and international runners for the first time in three years, after the Japanese government has lifted the Covid-related border restrictions.

Invited Elite Athletes: Nagoya Women’s Marathon 2023

Name                                         Nationality                       Personal Best

Ruth Chepngetich                      Kenya                               2:14:18

Nancy Jelagat Meto                   Kenya                               2:19:31

Ayuko Suzuki                             Japan                                2:22:02

Mao Uesugi                               Japan                                2:22:29

Mizuki Tanimoto                         Japan                                2:23:11

Honami Maeda                          Japan                                2:23:30

Molly Seidel                                USA                                  2:24:42

Yuka Suzuki                               Japan                                2:25:02

Eloise WELLINGS                     Australia                            2:2510

KATHARINA STEINRUCK        Germany                           2:25:59

ZHIXUAN LI                               China                                2:26:15

Xinyan ZHANG                          China                                2:26:56

DESHUN ZHANG                     China                                 2:27:01

Isobel BATT-DOYLE                 Australia                             2:28:10