Nagoya Women’s Marathon
The Nagoya Women’s Marathon has announced its plan to hold the 2022 Nagoya Women’s Marathon with up to 22,000 participants. This is the same scale as before the Covid-19 pandemic was declared.
Launched in 2012, the Nagoya Women’s Marathon is the world’s largest women’s marathon certified by Guinness World Records and the only women’s race granted a World Athletics Platinum Label.
The event hosted 21,436 runners in 2019, but due to the Covid-19 outbreak, it only staged the elite race with 110 athletes in 2020. The 2021 race on March 14, 2021, was held as the first mass participation road race in Japan after the Covid-19 pandemic started and welcomed 4,704 domestic runners (4,800 runners also participated virtually, from around the world). The post-event investigation found no cases of infection among event participants within two weeks after race day. The 2021 race was recognized for setting an example of the ‘new normal distance race with all suitable measures against infection delivered and advice of medical professionals and local government officials followed.
Race Director Koji Kitano said, “Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, we have not been able to welcome 22,000 women runners and support their marathon challenge for the past two years. As a runner myself, I understand how running fans around the world are waiting for mass races to return. We will use our experience from the past two races held during the pandemic to act in best practice to ensure the health and safety of 22,000 runners. The race entry will start in November and we are looking forward to receiving applications from many runners.”
The 2021 winner was Mizuki Matsuda who clocked a 2:21:51. The course record was set the year before by Mao Ichiyama at 2:20:29. Bahrain’s Eunice Kirwa won the most Nagoya Marathons with three in a row from 2015 to 2017.
