Kenya’s Sheila Chepkirui will be seeking back-to-back Nagoya Women’s Marathon titles when she lines up for the World Athletics Platinum Label road race on Sunday March 8, 2026.
The event, which this year falls on International Women’s Day, is widely recognised as the world’s largest women-only marathon and Chepkirui will face some strong competition when she returns to the roads of the Japanese city.
The 35-year-old, who won the New York City Marathon in 2024 and was second in Berlin in 2023, is one of 10 sub-2:22 athletes in the field. The PB of 2:17:29 she set on her debut in Valencia in 2022 puts her at the top of the entry list, but Ethiopia’s Aynalem Desta came close to that mark with 2:17:37 in October. The field also features Asian record-holder Honami Maeda, who ran 2:18:59 when finishing second in Osaka in 2024.
Chepkirui won last year’s Nagoya Women’s Marathon in 2:20:40 ahead of Japan’s Sayaka Sato and Bahrain’s Eunice Chumba. They all return this year to battle again.
Sato went on to finish 13th at the World Championships in Tokyo, three places ahead of Chumba, while Chepkirui followed her win in Nagoya with a third-place finish on her return to the New York City Marathon in November.
For 22-year-old Desta, the race offers an opportunity for her to build on the 2:17:37 PB she ran when winning the Amsterdam Marathon in October – her third marathon. Maeda’s last marathon was a 2:24:36 ninth-place finish in Berlin in September, while she ran 1:10:07 at the Houston Half Marathon in January.
They will line up alongside Kenya’s Selly Chepyego Kaptich, who ran 2:20:03 in Barcelona in 2023, plus Spanish record-holder Majida Maayouf and Australia’s Oceanian 3000m steeplechase record-holder Genevieve Gregson.
The home contenders will also be racing for qualification for the Marathon Grand Championship, Japan’s selection race for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
Among those joining Maeda and Sato will be Japan’s 2024 Nagoya champion Yuka Ando, Tokyo Olympian Ayuko Suzuki and 2023 World Championships representative Rika Kaseda.
Elite field
Sheila Chepkirui (KEN) 2:17:29
Aynalem Desta (ETH) 2:17:37
Honami Maeda (JPN) 2:18:59
Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:02
Selly Chepyego Kaptich (KEN) 2:20:03
Sayaka Sato (JPN) 2:20:59
Majida Maayouf (ESP) 2:21:01
Yuka Ando (JPN) 2:21:18
Ayuko Suzuki (JPN) 2:21:33
Rika Kaseda (JPN) 2:21:55
Genevieve Gregson (AUS) 2:23:08
Hayat Benhenia (MAR) 2:24:48
Soukaina Atanane (MAR) 2:24:57
Natsuki Omori (JPN) 2:25:36
Rino Goshima (JPN) 2:26:08
Sakiho Tsutsui (JPN) 2:26:51
Honoka Tanaike (JPN) 2:27:30
Yuri Mitsune (JPN) 2:29:04
Kaena Takeyama (JPN) 2:29:20
