The Osaka International Women's Marathon (大阪国際女子マラソン, Ōsaka Kokusai Joshi Marason) is an annual marathon road race for women over the classic distance of 42.195 kilometres which is held on the 4th or 5th Sunday of January in the city of Osaka, Japan, and hosted by Japan Association of Athletics Federations, Kansai Telecasting Corporation, the Sankei Shimbun, Sankei Sports, Radio Osaka and Osaka City.
| Osaka Women's Marathon | |
|---|---|
 The city course loops past Osaka Castle twice | |
| Date | 4th or 5th Sunday of January |
| Location | Osaka, Japan |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | Marathon |
| Primary sponsor | Okumura |
| Established | 1982 |
| Course records | 2:18:51 Workenesh Edesa (2024) |
| Official site | Osaka Women's Marathon |
| Participants | 257 finishers (2022) 423 (2020) 366 (2019) |
The first edition took place on January 24, 1982, and was won by Italy's Rita Marchisio. The 1995 marathon was cancelled due to the Great Hanshin earthquake. The race takes place in the city and passes prominent landmarks such as Osaka Castle. The course was altered in 2011 to allow for faster times by cutting out a number of hilly sections near Osaka Castle.[1] The finish line of the race is at Nagai Stadium, which was the host venue for the 2007 World Championships in Athletics.[2]
The Osaka Half Marathon, open regardless of gender, is held alongside the women's marathon.[3][4]
The Japanese rock group The Alfee provided a new theme song for Kansai TV's broadcast of the event every year for 31 consecutive years from 1987 until 2018, when the broadcaster announced they would no longer use themes.[5] The band were certified with a Guinness World Record for the achievement in December 2018.[6][7]
Winners
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Key: Course record
| Edition | Date | Winner | Country | Time (h:m:s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | January 24, 1982 | Rita Marchisio |  Italy |
2:32:55 |
| 2nd | January 30, 1983 | Carey May |  Ireland |
2:29:23 |
| 3rd | January 29, 1984 | Katrin Dörre |  East Germany |
2:31:41 |
| 4th | January 27, 1985 | Carey May | Ireland |
2:28:07 |
| 5th | January 26, 1986 | Lorraine Moller |  New Zealand |
2:30:24 |
| 6th | January 25, 1987 | Lorraine Moller | New Zealand |
2:30:40 |
| 7th | January 31, 1988 | Lisa Ondieki |  Australia |
2:23:51 |
| 8th | January 29, 1989 | Lorraine Moller | New Zealand |
2:30:21 |
| 9th | January 28, 1990 | Rosa Mota |  Portugal |
2:27:47 |
| 10th | January 27, 1991 | Katrin Dörre |  Germany |
2:27:43 |
| 11th | January 26, 1992 | Yumi Kokamo |  Japan |
2:26:26 |
| 12th | January 31, 1993 | Junko Asari | Japan |
2:26:26 |
| 13th | January 30, 1994 | Tomoe Abe | Japan |
2:26:09 |
| 14th | January 29, 1995 | Cancelled due to Great Hanshin earthquake | ||
| 15th | January 26, 1996 | Katrin Dörre-Heinig | Germany |
2:26:04 |
| 16th | January 26, 1997 | Katrin Dörre-Heinig | Germany |
2:25:57 |
| 17th | January 25, 1998 | Lidia Șimon |  Romania |
2:28:31 |
| 18th | January 31, 1999 | Lidia Șimon | Romania |
2:23:24 |
| 19th | January 30, 2000 | Lidia Șimon | Romania |
2:22:54 |
| 20th | January 28, 2001 | Yoko Shibui |  Japan |
2:23:11 |
| 21st | January 27, 2002 | Lornah Kiplagat |  Netherlands |
2:23:55 |
| 22nd | January 26, 2003 | Mizuki Noguchi | Japan |
2:21:18 |
| 23rd | January 25, 2004 | Naoko Sakamoto | Japan |
2:25:29 |
| 24th | January 30, 2005 | Jeļena Prokopčuka |  Latvia |
2:22:56 |
| 25th | January 29, 2006 | Catherine Ndereba |  Kenya |
2:25:05 |
| 26th | January 28, 2007 | Yumiko Hara | Japan |
2:23:48 |
| 27th | January 27, 2008 | Mara Yamauchi |  United Kingdom |
2:25:10 |
| 28th | January 25, 2009 | Yoko Shibui | Japan |
2:23:42 |
| 29th | January 31, 2010 | Amane Gobena | Ethiopia |
2:25:14 |
| 30th | January 30, 2011 | Yukiko Akaba | Japan |
2:26:29 |
| 31st | January 29, 2012 | Risa Shigetomo | Japan |
2:23:23 |
| 32nd | January 27, 2013 | Kayoko Fukushi* | Japan |
2:24:21 |
| 33rd | January 26, 2014 | Yukiko Akaba* | Japan |
2:26:00 |
| 34th | January 25, 2015 | Jeļena Prokopčuka* | Latvia |
2:24:07 |
| 35th | January 31, 2016 | Kayoko Fukushi | Japan |
2:22:17 |
| 36th | January 29, 2017 | Risa Shigetomo | Japan |
2:24:22 |
| 37th | January 28, 2018 | Mizuki Matsuda | Japan |
2:22:44 |
| 38th | January 27, 2019 | Fatuma Sado | Ethiopia |
2:25:39 |
| 39th | January 26, 2020 | Mizuki Matsuda | Japan |
2:21:47 |
| 40th | January 31, 2021 | Mao Ichiyama | Japan |
2:21:11 |
| 41st | January 30, 2022 | Mizuki Matsuda | Japan |
2:20:52 |
| 42nd | January 29, 2023 | Haven Hailu | Ethiopia |
2:21:13 |
| 43rd | January 28, 2024 | Workenesh Edesa | Ethiopia |
2:18:51 |
* Tetyana Hamera-Shmyrko was suspended by the Ukrainian Athletic Federation for four years from 30 September 2015 until 29 September 2019 due to doping rules violation. All her results from 26 August 2011 to 30 September 2015, including victories in the 2013, 2014 and 2015 editions of the Osaka International Ladies Marathon, were annulled.[8]
Notes
- 1 ^ 2021 edition has male pacemakers including Yuki Kawauchi[9]
References
External links
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