World’s best athletes gather to compete in Sunday’s Nagoya Women’s Marathon 2023

Ruth Chepngetich aims to defend her title and set course record.

Growing attention to the largest women’s marathon in the world with the highest first prize in the marathon sport: US$250,000.

The Nagoya Women’s Marathon held a pre-race press conference for the invited elite athletes today in Nagoya, Japan prior to the event scheduled for this Sunday, March 12, 2023.

Ruth Chepngetich of Kenya, 2022 Champion of both Nagoya in 2:17:18 and Chicago in 2:14:18 with the second-fastest women’s marathon in history, was “happy to be back in Nagoya” and said, “My condition is good, and my target for Sunday is to defend my title with a new course record.”

Joining the competition from Japan, Tokyo Olympian in the women’s marathon Ayuko Suzuki commented “I want to reach the fullest potential of my current self and improve my personal best of 2:22:02.” Her fellow Olympian Honami Maeda said she wanted to “run under 2 hours 24 minutes and qualify for the selection race for Japan’s marathon team for the Paris Olympics.”

Although they did not attend the press conference, other strong competitors, including Nancy Jelagat of Kenya, who holds a personal best record of 2:19:31, will compete in Sunday’s race.

In addition to these top elite athletes, many amateur and fun runners will join the Nagoya Women’s Marathon 2023 from home and abroad. It will be the first race in four years to be held fully open to all women who love running around the world as the Japanese government finally lifted the Covid-related border restrictions last fall. All finishers will be presented with an event’s exclusively designed Tiffany & Co. pendant and a New Balance T-shirt as the finisher prize.

Since last year, the Nagoya Women’s Marathon offers the world’s highest first prize of US $250,000. It is gathering special attention whether Ruth will win her second consecutive title or a new heroine will be born.

The race will be streamed live free of charge to 34 countries and regions (Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Brunei, Cambodia, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Kenya, Macau, Malaysia, Mexico, Monaco, Myanmar, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom, and United States of America) on the race’s official website at https://womens-marathon.nagoya/en/broadcast.php. Stay tuned for the race start at 9:10 a.m. on Sunday, March 12, 2023, Japan time!

For the latest list of competitors in the Nagoya Women’s Marathon 2023 Elite Field, please visit:
https://womens-marathon.nagoya/en/invited-athletes/

For more information about the Nagoya Women’s Marathon, please visit:
https://womens-marathon.nagoya/en/

About Nagoya Women’s Marathon
The Nagoya Women’s Marathon is the largest women’s marathon in the world certified by Guinness World Records, held annually in March in Nagoya city, Japan. It was launched on March 11, 2012, with 13,114 participants, reformed from the Nagoya International Women’s Marathon, the elite-only women’s race known as the qualifying trial that had sent off many Japanese star athletes to the international competitions, including two Olympic gold medalists Naoko Takahashi and Mizuki Noguchi. It holds the World Athletics Platinum Label status and has now grown to an event of 22,000 participants.

For playing a significant role in the increase of women runner population in Japan, the race was awarded the International Olympic Committee Women and Sport Achievement Diploma in 2019, after receiving the Japan Olympic Committee Women and Sport Award in 2017.

For further information, please contact:
Nagoya Women’s Marathon Administrative Office
1-6-1 Sannomaru, Naka-ku
Nagoya 460-8511 Japan
Email: nagoyawomensmarathon@gmail.com
Website: https://womens-marathon.nagoya/en/

https://womens-marathon.nagoya/en/