Sheila Chepkirui of Kenya defended her 2025 title at the 2026 Nagoya Women’s Marathon on Sunday. The Kenyan crossed the finish line in 2:21:54 after a determined run in strong winds. Japan’s Sayaka Sato finished second just two seconds back in 2:21:56, while Aynalem Desta of Ethiopia placed third in 2:22:37.
The race started under clear skies with a temperature of 8.9°C, humidity of 34.3%, and winds of 3.0 m/s. Despite the challenging conditions, a lead pack including Chepkirui, Sato, Desta, and Japan’s Rika Kaseda reached the halfway point in 1:10:51.
After the pacemakers dropped out around the 25 km mark, athletes gradually fell away from the lead group until only four remained.
At 39 km, Chepkirui made her decisive move, with only Sato able to stay with her as the race turned into a head-to-head duel between the two. The two remained locked in a close battle all the way to the finish, with Chepkirui ultimately crossing the line just ahead to secure her second consecutive title. After finishing, she embraced Sato, who finished two seconds later, as the two congratulated each other on a fiercely contested race.
Speaking after the race, Chepkirui said, “I’m very happy to defend my title. The wind was really strong, so I needed to keep a strong mind all the way to the finish line.” Sato, who showed her trademark resilience to the end, commented, “It’s tough to lose the sprint at the end, but I believe I ran a good race today.”
While the elite competition delivered world-class performances, a total of 17,101 women runners from Japan and around the world took part in the race, enjoying the world’s largest women’s marathon under clear blue skies.
As part of the event’s 15th anniversary celebrations, special guest runner Juana Ramírez Hernández of Mexico’s Indigenous Rarámuri (Tarahumara) community also completed the race. She finished in 2:48:25, improving her personal best by more than 20 minutes. Running in her vibrant traditional attire, Juana captivated 250,000 spectators lining the course with her graceful stride and indomitable spirit.
All finishers received the race’s signature finisher award – a commemorative crystal tumbler created by the French luxury brand Baccarat – personally presented one by one by specially appointed volunteers dressed in tuxedos.
The three-day Marathon EXPO also drew more than 100,000 visitors. Highlights included the “GO RUNWAY × GO WOMEN” fashion show, showcasing the latest running-inspired styles on the finish-line stage, and a special mini live performance by Japanese singer Ami Suzuki, who also performed the Japanese national anthem at the start ceremony.
Organizer Comments: “We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all the runners for their participation and to all the volunteers, staff, and citizens of Nagoya for their support. Thanks to everyone’s efforts, we were able to successfully stage the event once again without any major incidents.”
For more information about the Nagoya Women’s Marathon, please visit:
https://womens-marathon.nagoya/en/
