Sheila Chepkirui Won Ksh32 Million Nagoya Women’s Marathon
Sheila Chepkirui Dominates Nagoya Women’s Marathon
On Sunday, March 9, 2023, the streets of Nagoya, Japan, were alive with the spirit of competition as athletes from around the world gathered for the prestigious Nagoya Women’s Marathon, a World Athletics Platinum Label event. Leading the pack was Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui, who sealed her victory with a remarkable time of 2:20:40, establishing her as one of the elite marathon runners of our time.
Chepkirui’s performance was nothing short of exceptional. She finished 19 seconds ahead of Japan’s Sayaka Sato, who achieved a personal best of 2:20:59, bettering her previous record by over a minute. Following Sato was Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba, who crossed the finish line in third place with a commendable time of 2:21:35.
The race began at a furious pace with the leaders reaching the 10km mark in 33:28. However, not all runners could maintain the tempo; Pauline Kamulu fell off the pace shortly after 14km, and by 15km, the lead group had clocked 50:16.
Debuting in the marathon distance, Rino Goshima struggled to keep up along with Australia’s Isobel Batt-Doyle. As the race progressed, the lead pack diminished, with Chepkirui, Chumba, Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga, and Japan’s Rika Kaseda remaining prominent. They hit the 20km mark at 1:07:00 and reached a halfway split of 1:10:37. As the race wore on, Omori and Aga fell off the pace, with Aga dropping out for recovery.
Once the pacemakers exited the race, Chepkirui seized the opportunity to ramp up the speed. While Chumba and Sato stayed in contention, Kaseda was forced to drop back. By the time they hit the 35km mark in 1:57:00, Chepkirui and Chumba began to assert their dominance, with Sato trailing only a second behind.
In a stunning display of strength, Chepkirui pulled away decisively at the 36km mark. As she approached 40km with a time of 2:13:26, her lead expanded to an impressive 16 seconds ahead of Sato and 29 seconds over Chumba. The final stretch saw no change in positions, with Chepkirui clinching the victory in a highly impressive 2:20:40.
In her victory speech, an elated Chepkirui commented, “It was a good race. I thank God for giving me energy. I had a positive mind during the training sessions leading up to this race. I am going to rest now and then prepare for the next race.”
Sato reflected on her achievement, saying, “I am happy to run a complete race, not slowing down at the end like previous races. I was hoping for a personal best, so I am very happy with the time. A personal best in this race gives me a lot of confidence. I want to go up to the next level and be competitive in the world scene.”
The Nagoya Women’s Marathon was also crucial for Japanese athletes, providing one final chance to secure their spots for the World Athletics Championships set to take place in Tokyo in 2025.
Leading Results:
- Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) – 2:20:40
- Sayaka Sato (JPN) – 2:20:59
- Eunice Chumba (BRN) – 2:21:35
- Mao Uesugi (JPN) – 2:22:11
- Rika Kaseda (JPN) – 2:23:05
- Isobel Batt-Doyle (AUS) – 2:23:29
- Natosha Rogers (USA) – 2:23:51
- Leanne Pompeani (AUS) – 2:24:53
- Natsuki Omori (JPN) – 2:25:36
- Rino Goshima (JPN) – 2:26:08
As the marathon scene continues to thrive, the performances from this weekend further highlight the extraordinary talent and dedication of female athletes in distance running. Stay tuned for more updates and inspiring stories from the world of athletics!