Ruth Chepng'etich wins Nagoya Marathon

Ruth Chepng’etich is this year's Nagoya Women Marathon champion.

Chepng'etich clocked two hours, 17 minutes and 18 seconds to win her first marathon this year in a new course record time. 

Chepng’etich, who broke from the leading pack after 5km mark and ran a lone race almost the entire course, looked composed maintaining a constant pace all the way to the finish line.

Her time is the second fastest time in the women only race missing her personal best by 10 seconds.

Kenyan-born Lorna Chemtai Salpeter, who represents Israel came in second clocking 2:18:45 while Ando Yuka from Japan was third in 2:22:22.

Chepng’etich will take home Sh28,550,000 (250,000 dollars) as prize money for winning the women only race, which is part of the World Athletics Platinum Label races. It attracted some of the best athletes in Japan and a limited number of invited elite athletes. 

Last season, Chepng'etich started by running a world record time during the Istanbul Half Marathon where she timed 64:02 (mixed gender) which was later broken by Ethiopia’s Yalemzerf Yehualaw who timed 63:44. The record is currently held by another Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey (62:52).

Chepng'etich later won the 2021 Chicago Marathon race clocking 2:22:31, a month after dropping out at the Tokyo Olympics.

Nagoya Marathon is the world’s largest women’s marathon and is held annually in March. It has been recognised as a qualification race for Olympic Games and other international races.