Chepkirui wins Nagoya Women's Marathon

The New York City Marathon champion finished 19 seconds ahead of Japan’s Sayaka Sato, whose 2:20:59 was a PB by more than a minute, while Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba was third in 2:21:35.

The race started with a 3:19 first kilometre and that pace was maintained for the next kilometre.

A 10-strong lead group plus pacemakers reached the 5km mark in 16:42, with a small gap of around four seconds back to the chase group.

The leaders passed 10km in 33:28 before Pauline Kamulu fell off the pace around 14km, and then 15km was reached by the lead group in 50:16.

Rino Goshima, the Japanese 10,000m champion making her marathon debut, dropped back along with Australia’s Isobel Batt-Doyle after the next kilometre. That left seven runners in the lead pack along with the pacemakers, and the group of Chepkirui, Chumba, Ethiopia’s Ruti Aga and Japan’s Rika Kaseda, Sato, Natsuki Omori and Mao Uesugi hit the 20km mark in 1:07:00.

They continued on to clock 1:10:37 at halfway and 1:23:42 at 25km before Omori started to drift back. Uesugi and Aga also started to lose touch just before 28km and Aga, this year's Xiamen Marathon winner, dropped out a short while later.

The group was four-strong plus the pacemaker at 29km and Chepkirui, Sato, Chumba and Kaseda covered the kilometre up to the 30km mark in 3:17, reaching that checkpoint in 1:40:20.

The pacemakers left the race at this point and Chepkirui started to push the pace. Chumba and Sato managed to cover the move, while Kaseda fell several metres behind before rejoining the leaders.

Chepkirui and Chumba started to pull away from Sato and Kaseda on approach to the 33km mark, before they tackled the big hill. Still in the lead, Chepkirui and Chumba reached 35km in 1:57:00, with Sato just one second back. 

Chepkirui had created a gap by 36km, followed by Chumba and then Sato, but Sato caught and then passed Chumba. Chepkirui’s lead was clear by 40km, which she reached in 2:13:26, with Sato 16 seconds back and Chumba another 13 seconds in arrears.

Those positions remained all the way to the finish line, Chepkirui clinching victory in 2:20:40.

“It was a good race. I thank God for giving me energy,” said Chepkirui. “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 said: “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.  

“I was hoping to stay in contact with the leader throughout the race. A personal best in this race gives me a lot of confidence. I want to go up to next level and be competitive in the world scene.”

The race represented the final opportunity for Japanese women to try to secure a place on the host nation team for the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.

Leading results

1 Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 2:20:40

2 Sayaka Sato (JPN) 2:20:59

3 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:21:35

4 Mao Uesugi (JPN) 2:22:11

5 Rika Kaseda (JPN) 2:23:05

6 Isobel Batt-Doyle (AUS) 2:23:29

7 Natosha Rogers (USA) 2:23:51

8 Leanne Pompeani (AUS) 2:24:53

9 Natsuki Omori (JPN) 2:25:36

10 Rino Goshima (JPN) 2:26:08

Report by World Athletics media