Ruth Chepngetich successfully defends Nagoya Women’s Marathon title

2019 world marathon champion Ruth Chepngetich solo ran her way to victory at the Nagoya Women’s Marathon on Sunday morning, clocking 2:18:08 to retain her title at the World Athletics Platinum Label road race in

The Kenyan went into the race aiming to claim back-to-back wins and improve her own course record but she came just over a minute short.

Last year, she ran 2:17:18 to record the second-fastest ever women-only marathon, behind her compatriot Mary Keitany’s 2:17:01 set in London in 2017.

However, despite not dipping her course record, Chepngetich claimed a dominant victory, winning by more than three minutes ahead of Japan’s duo of Ayuko Suzuki and Honami Maeda who came in second and third respectively, posting times of 2:21:52 and 2:22:32.

On a warm morning, Chepngetich went straight to the front of the field and was running ahead of the pacemakers. She led by 35 seconds from the 15-strong chase group at 5km, which she passed in 16:19.

By 10km her lead was 76 seconds as she crossed that checkpoint in 32:34, nine seconds ahead of her course record split from last year, but with that record performance having been achieved with a faster second half of her race.

The 28-year-old clocked 49:00 at 15km and picked up the pace over the next 5km, reaching 20km in 1:05:14 and half way in 1:08:47, 16 seconds ahead of her split en route to her 2:17:18 course record. The chase group, featuring Japan’s Yuka Suzuki, Maeda, Mao Uesugi, Ayuko Suzuki, Mirai Waku and Honoka Tanaike plus China’s Zhang Deshun and Li Zhixuan, were two-and-a-half minutes back, following the two pacemakers through in 1:11:19.

Gor Mahia host Bidco United at Nyayo as Ingwe face Mathare on 59th birthday

Chepngetich, who also retained her Chicago Marathon title in 2022 in 2:14:18 for the second-fastest women's performance in history, went on to pass the 25km point in 1:21:32, maintaining her pace. The chase group, now including Ayuko Suzuki, Yuka Suzuki, Uesugi, Maeda, Waku, Zhang and Li behind the one remaining pacemaker, sped up and reached 25km in 1:24:21.

Chepngetich continued to race against the clock and she reached 30km in 1:37:51, three minutes ahead of Ayuko Suzuki and Zhang (1:41:00), who were starting to drop their challengers in the chase pack. Ayuko Suzuki then dropped Zhang, too, as she continued to pick up her pace.

Unlike last year when Chepngetich sped up in the second half, her pace began to slow but she was still on for a sub-2:18 performance as the clock showed 1:54:24 at 35km. Maeda had moved past Zhang into third, with Ayuko Suzuki clear in second place and now on sub-2:22 pace (1:57:40), still three minutes behind Chepngetich but 25 seconds ahead of Maeda.

Chepngetich hung on, with victory in her sights. She reached 40km in 2:11:07 and went on to win in 2:18:08, claiming the current largest first-place prize money in marathon running of US$250,000. Finishing 3:44 behind her was Ayuko Suzuki, her 2:21:52 runner-up time a PB. Maeda's 2:22:31 for third was also a PB that qualifies her for Japan's Olympic marathon trial race.

Zhang finished fourth in a Personal Best (PB) of 2:24:05 and Uesugi fifth in 2:24:16.

“I am happy, I defended my title,” Chepngetich said on the event live stream. “The race was good. It was not easy for me to run alone but I am happy and I am proud of today’s success.”

Leading results

1 Ruth Chepngetich (KEN) 2:18:08

2 Ayuko Suzuki (JPN) 2:21:52

3 Honami Maeda (JPN) 2:22:32

4 Zhang Deshun (CHN) 2:24:05

5 Mao Uesugi (JPN) 2:24:16

6 Yuka Suzuki (JPN) 2:25:46

7 Mirai Waku (JPN) 2:25:58

8 Li Zhixuan (CHN) 2:26:28

9 Honoka Tanaike (JPN) 2:27:30

10 Isobel Batt-Doyle (AUS) 2:27:54